Podcasts about RAND Corporation

Interview with Sameer Lalwani on India-Pakistan: 21:30 This week, Kelly and Tristen digest the recent elections in Australia and President Putin's WWII victory day parade, and remember the life and legacy of legendary IR scholar Joseph Nye. Kelly then talks with to Sameer Lalwani for an update on recent tensions between India and Pakistan.  Sameer Lalwani is a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. He was formerly a senior expert in the Asia Center at the United States Institute of Peace, director of the Stimson Center's South Asia Program, an adjunct professor at George Washington University, and a Stanton nuclear security fellow at the RAND Corporation.  His research has also been published in Security Studies, International Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Strategic Studies, Small Wars & Insurgencies, Survival, The Washington Quarterly, Asian Survey, Foreign Affairs, and the New York Times. The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Theo Malhotra and Freddie Mallinson.  Recorded on May 12, 2025. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown  

Lennart Heim, a researcher and information scientist at RAND Corporation, joins Azeem Azhar to unpack a provocative claim: China is catching up with US AI capabilities, but it doesn't matter. Timestamps: (00:00) Episode trailer (01:19) Lennart's core thesis (03:26)   Why compute matters so much (07:31)  The investment split between model R&D and model execution (11:18)  How test-time compute impacts costs (16:14) The geopolitics of compute (21:32) Why does the U.S have more compute capacity than China? (25:01)  The trade-off between economic needs and national-security needs (31:54)  How technology change might shift the battlegrounds (35:33)  Dealing with compute and power concentration (48:19)  Concluding quick-fire question  Lennart's links: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ohlennartPersonal blog: https://heim.xyz/Azeem's links:Substack: https://www.exponentialview.co/Website: https://www.azeemazhar.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azharTwitter/X: https://x.com/azeemThis was originally recorded for "Friday with Azeem Azhar", a new show that takes place every Friday at 9am PT and 12pm ET. You can tune in through Exponential View on Substack. Produced by supermix.io and EPIIPLUS1 Ltd

00:00:00 – Welcome Back & Monster May Returns Joe returns after time away, talks about new job, freelance animation work, and financial recovery. Commentary on lingering mask usage post-COVID, psychological impacts, and shifting social norms. Announcement of Monster May segment revisiting the Flatwoods Monster case. 00:10:00 – Flatwoods Monster Sighting Details Breakdown of 1952 Flatwoods encounter: glowing red eyes, foul smell, cloaked humanoid. Witnesses included children and an adult; Project Blue Book investigated. Official explanation suggested mass hysteria and a meteor; skeptics questioned odd evidence. 00:20:00 – Flatwoods as Psychological Warfare? Theory that the incident was a U.S. psyop, testing public reaction to bizarre phenomena. RAND Corporation's 1950 paper on exploiting superstitions for psychological manipulation discussed. Historical example: British military using scarecrow devices in WWII paralleled to Flatwoods. 00:30:00 – Related UFO Encounters & Deja Vu Science Donald Shrum's robotic alien encounter compared to Flatwoods case. Bigfoot sightings teased from Expedition Bigfoot series. Discussion on “jamais vu” – the eerie opposite of déjà vu. 00:40:00 – LGBTQ Event Critique & Public Behavior Criticism of over-sexualized gay culture, including controversial “piss pool” video. Debate over normalization of radical behaviors at public events and camps. Concerns raised over youth exposure and the evolving LGBTQ+ image. 00:50:00 – Abortion, Race, and Redheads Commentary on abortion pride messaging and societal detachment. Satirical reaction to claim that redheads are actually Black people. Media supercut criticized CNN's portrayal of America as racist and broken. 01:00:00 – Trans Disillusionment & Africa Culture Shock American woman describes harsh realities after relocating to Africa. Discussion of high suicide rates among trans people linked to medical regret. Commentary on how American conveniences are often taken for granted. 01:10:00 – Cultural Habits, Identity, and Social Division Observations about cultural differences in hygiene and living standards abroad. Frustration over GoFundMe disparities tied to race and media narratives. Allegations of psyops inflaming racial and social tensions through viral campaigns. 01:20:00 – WalkAway Movement & Realizing the Lies Former liberal shares awakening after researching Trump-related media claims. Emotional conflict over losing social group by admitting ideological shift. Cultural pressure to never admit being wrong contributes to societal stagnation. 01:30:00 – AI Cover Letters & Lollipop Incident Irony of AI companies banning AI-written job applications. Hosts joke about writing a profanity-laced AI cover letter. Story of 8-year-old boy using mom's phone to order 70,000 lollipops from Amazon. 01:40:00 – McDonald's 21+ Rule & Nacho Fight Discussion of controversial McDonald's policy requiring customers to be 21+ after 5 PM in one location. Video of chaotic fight in a restaurant over nachos analyzed and joked about. Commentary on breakdown of civility in public spaces. 01:50:00 – Final Thoughts & AI Closing Song Closing reflections on themes of deception, culture wars, and social conditioning. Joe and Mike discuss the possibility of using AI to script future episodes. Episode ends with a humorous AI-generated summer hit song referencing Hitler.   End Song: "When We Grow Up" By Fuck Town Power Boys Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Phone: 614-388-9109 ► Skype: ourbigdumbmouth ► Website: http://obdmpod.com ► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/obdmpod ► Full Videos at Odysee: https://odysee.com/@obdm:0 ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/obdmpod ► Instagram: obdmpod ► Email: ourbigdumbmouth at gmail ► RSS: http://ourbigdumbmouth.libsyn.com/rss ► iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-big-dumb-mouth/id261189509?mt=2  

In this wide-ranging conversation, Yitzy sits down with Dr. Shmuel Abramzon, Israel's Chief Economist at the Ministry of Finance, to unpack his unique role at the intersection of policy, macroeconomics, and innovation. They dive into the evolution of digital assets in Israel, what it really means to “regulate” crypto, and the story behind the Ministry's landmark report on digital asset regulation. Dr. Abramzon shares insights into the bureaucratic complexity of crafting policy, Israel's cautious dance with stablecoin regulation, and his thoughts on the prospects of a strategic Bitcoin reserve. From reflections on his time at RAND Corporation to a philosophical take on decentralization, this episode offers a rare look into how one of Israel's top economic voices is navigating the future of crypto and fintech.

Today on Moment of Zen, we're sharing a conversation from the 2024 Hill and Valley Forum with the founders of Scale AI, Anthropic, and AI Fund on the urgent race between the U.S. and China in AI innovation. Moderated by Senator Cory Booker and featuring Alexandr Wang, Jack Clark, and Andrew Eng, the panel covers why American AI leadership is at risk, and how smarter policy and faster deployment are critical to maintaining a competitive edge. (Note: that this conversation took place before the DeepSeek breakthrough.) Keep an eye out for the 2025 Hill and Valley Forum on Wednesday, April 30 — and subscribe to the Hill & Valley podcast in the episode description to listen to every panel. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/39s4MCyt1pOTQ8FjOAS4mi Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hill-valley/id1692653857 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HillValleyForum --

Bruce Bennet, a senior researcher at the RAND Corporation, joins the podcast to discuss just how ironclad the U.S.-South Korea alliance really is, the growing plausibility of limited nuclear use by Pyongyang and the risks of miscalculation in a changing security environment. He also delves into what North Korea military is learning from the war in Ukraine, its chemical and biological weapons posture and his insights from years of wargaming Korean conflict scenarios. Dr. Bruce Bennett is a senior international and defense researcher at the RAND Corporation and a specialist in Northeast Asian security, military strategy and asymmetric threats — particularly weapons of mass destruction. He has conducted extensive research on deterrence, Korean Peninsula conflict scenarios and regime collapse planning for North Korea. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

Thách thức kép, giữa một bên là sự bất định của chính quyền mới ở Mỹ và bên kia là một Trung Quốc ngày một xác quyết, đang đặt Đài Loan trước một thực tế đáng sợ : Rủi ro chính quyền Mỹ hiện tại hoặc tương lai có thể coi những thách thức của Đài Loan là một mối quan tâm xa vời. Chưa có lúc nào Đài Loan phải đương đầu với một thế tiến thoái lưỡng nan về mặt chiến lược nghiêm trọng như lúc này. Một mặt, Trung Quốc gia tăng sức ép trong nhiều lĩnh vực, từ kinh tế, ngoại giao và nhất là quân sự. Bắc Kinh luôn xem hòn đảo này như là một phần lãnh thổ không thể tách rời và một ngày nào đó phải được thống nhất bằng mọi giá, kể cả bằng vũ lực.Đài Loan trước sức ép quân sự từ Trung Quốc Giới quan sát dự đoán từ đây đến năm 2027, Trung Quốc có thể đánh chiếm Đài Loan. Tuy nhiên, việc chiếm đảo không phải là một nhiệm vụ dễ dàng, do địa hình phức tạp và nhất là Bắc Kinh vẫn còn e ngại phản ứng từ Washington : Liệu Hoa Kỳ có bảo vệ Đài Loan nếu Trung Quốc mở chiến dịch tấn công?Nhưng từ đây đến ngày « giấc mơ Trung Hoa » được thành hiện thực, Trung Quốc không ngừng thao dượt quân sự phối hợp hải lục không quân với quy mô mỗi lúc một lớn hơn. Cuộc tập trận mới nhất trong hai ngày 01 và 02/04/2025 là một ví dụ điển hình : Bắc Kinh huy động không chỉ hải quân, không quân, mà cả đơn vị tên lửa và bộ binh.Theo quan sát từ nhà nghiên cứu Marc Julienne, giám đốc Trung tâm châu Á, Viện Quan hệ Quốc tế Pháp IFRI, mục tiêu là nhằm củng cố các năng lực liên tác chiến giữa các lực lượng quân đội Trung Quốc, nhưng cũng nhằm mô phỏng phong tỏa các cảng biển chính, ngắt đường cung cấp năng lượng và nhất là chặn đường chính phủ cũng như người dân Đài Loan đào thoát.Trên đài truyền hình ARTE, nhà nghiên cứu về Trung Quốc nhận định tiếp :« Đây thực sự là một đợt huấn luyện. Nếu Trung Quốc muốn mở một chiến dịch xâm chiếm hay phong tỏa trong ngắn, trung, hay dài hạn, họ phải được chuẩn bị cho chiến dịch này. Tôi nghĩ rằng chúng ta không nên đánh giá thấp công tác chuẩn bị cho chiến đấu. Và điều này được nói rõ trong các phát biểu chính trị hay quân sự chính thức. Việc chuẩn bị cho chiến đấu là một trong những ưu tiên của Quân đội Giải phóng Nhân dân.Vào thời điểm nào chiến sự sẽ diễn ra, thật khó mà nói. Nhưng người ta thường nói đến năm 2027, bởi vì đó sẽ là năm kỷ niệm 100 năm ngày thành lập quân đội và bởi vì ông Tập Cận Bình đã ra lệnh cho quân đội phải sẵn sàng chiến đấu vào thời điểm đó. Chúng ta cũng nên biết là Trung Quốc hiện đang có chút cơ may bởi vì càng chờ đợi, Trung Quốc sẽ càng hùng mạnh, nhưng ở phía bên kia, các đối thủ cũng sẽ củng cố mạnh hơn và sự phối hợp của họ cũng sẽ được chặt chẽ hơn ».Sức ép này từ Trung Quốc đặt hòn đảo này trước một thách thức to lớn : Đài Loan phải ứng phó với các rủi ro cấp bách như thế nào ? Chẳng hạn như sự phụ thuộc vào năng lượng nhập khẩu, tính dễ bị tổn thương của các tuyến cáp ngầm viễn thông nối Đài Loan với thế giới, nguồn dự trữ lương thực và tài nguyên, cũng như khả năng phòng thủ mạng trước các cuộc tấn công từ tin tặc Trung Quốc v.v…« Thách thức Donald Trump »Mặt khác, cùng lúc này, chính quyền tổng thống Lại Thanh Đức phải đối mặt với điều mà hai nhà nghiên cứu về Trung Quốc, Jude Blanchette và Gerard DiPippo, Trung tâm Nghiên cứu Trung Quốc, thuộc tổ chức tư vấn RAND Corporation, gọi là « Thách thức Donald Trump ». Chính sách thương mại và quốc phòng của Đài Loan đã chuyển sang một hướng mới kể từ khi tổng thống Mỹ Donald Trump nhậm chức vào tháng 01/2025.Đài Loan có nguy cơ  bị áp thuế đến 32% theo như thông báo đầu tiên của ông Donald Trump ngày 02/04, nếu đàm phán thất bại. Giống như nhiều nước khác trong khu vực, Đài Loan có thặng dư mậu dịch đến 76 tỷ đô la trong năm 2024, đứng thứ năm trong số các đối tác thương mại của Hoa Kỳ. Kim ngạch xuất khẩu của Đài Loan sang Mỹ đạt mức 119 tỷ đô la, chủ yếu là chất bán dẫn và đồ điện tử, nhưng chỉ nhập khẩu 42 tỷ đô la hàng Mỹ.Điều này có nghĩa là Đài Bắc phải tăng gấp đôi lượng hàng nhập khẩu để thu hẹp khoảng cách, đây thực sự là một nhiệm vụ khó khăn. Chính phủ tổng thống Lại Thanh Đức hiện đang xem xét những thỏa thuận nào có thể đề nghị với chính quyền Trump. Tuy nhiên, theo hai nhà nghiên cứu người Mỹ trên trang RAND, rủi ro đối với Đài Loan cao hơn so với các nước khác do tầm quan trọng của mối quan hệ hợp tác an ninh giữa Đài Loan và Hoa Kỳ.Do vậy, ngoài việc Đài Loan có thể mua thêm một số mặt hàng chính như dầu hỏa, khí hóa lỏng, than đá, máy phát điện hay nông sản, Đài Bắc cũng có thể tăng mua vũ khí. Hiện tại, ngân sách quốc phòng của Đài Loan chỉ chiếm khoảng 2,45% GDP. Tổng thống Lại Thanh Đức gần đây cam kết tăng chi tiêu quốc phòng lên mức 3%.Đây là một mức chi mà nhiều quan chức chính quyền Trump đánh giá là chưa đủ nếu xét đến quy mô của mối đe dọa mà hòn đảo này phải đối mặt. Ông Elbridge Colby, trong phiên điều trần trước Nghị Viện để được bổ nhiệm là thứ trưởng Quốc Phòng, phụ trách Chính sách, đã tuyên bố « Đài Loan nên chi đến khoảng 10% hoặc ít nhất một con số nào đó trong phạm vi này. »Chất bán dẫn : « Lá chắn silicon » của Đài LoanTuy nhiên, theo hai nhà nghiên cứu người Mỹ, cốt lõi vấn đề ở đây có thể là chất bán dẫn. Những con chip chiến lược này, cùng với linh kiện máy tính có chứa các con chip tiên tiến, chiếm gần 60% thâm hụt thương mại hàng hóa của Mỹ với Đài Loan trong năm 2024. Tổng thống Mỹ Donald Trump trong chiến dịch tranh cử cáo buộc Đài Loan đánh cắp hoạt động kinh doanh chip của Hoa Kỳ và đe dọa áp thuế đến 100% đối với linh kiện bán dẫn.Những phát biểu này của nguyên thủ Mỹ đã làm dấy lên nỗi hoài nghi tại Đài Loan và các nước đồng minh trong khu vực : Cuối cùng, đối với Mỹ, Đài Loan là đồng minh hay là kẻ thù của Mỹ ? Ông Frédéric Encel, nhà địa chính trị học, giáo sư trường Paris School of Business, đánh giá việc bỏ rơi Đài Loan có thể gây tổn hại cho uy tín của Mỹ trong khu vực, khiến Donald Trump phải trả giá đắt.Cũng theo ông Frédéric Encel, « kim chỉ nam » của Donald Trump là « chủ nghĩa trọng thương tuyệt đối », nghĩa là « trả một đồng phải thu lại hai đồng ». Trên đài truyền hình ARTE, ông giải thích tiếp :« Tôi tin rằng Đài Loan không phải là một đồng minh, mà cũng không là một kẻ thù. Đây là một khách hàng tuyệt vời. Xin lưu ý, đó là một khách hàng mà Mỹ muốn tiếp tục bảo vệ bằng mọi giá. Quý vị hãy ước tính chi phí quốc phòng của chúng tôi để bảo đảm an ninh cho quý vị tốn kém bao nhiêu ? Về cơ bản, đây chính xác là lý do tại sao tôi nói đến « kim chỉ nam », mục tiêu của Trump. Đó chính là những gì Trump đề nghị với rất nhiều nước, hiện cảm thấy bị tổn thương vì chính sách mới của ông. Dù đúng hay sai, Trump tin rằng các nước châu Âu gây tốn kém cho Mỹ, đã quan tâm không đầy đủ, hay không đủ khả năng thanh khoản trong những thập niên sắp tới. Tôi nghĩ rằng điều này sẽ rất khác biệt tại vùng Ấn Độ - Thái Bình Dương. »Đầu tháng 3/2025, chính quyền Lại Thanh Đức, trong một cử chỉ được nhiều nhà quan sát đánh giá là khôn khéo, đã thông báo TSMC sẽ đầu tư 100 tỷ đô la, xây dựng nhà máy sản xuất chip tại Mỹ, cùng với một trung tâm nghiên cứu và phát triển, nâng tổng số cam kết đầu tư vào Mỹ là 165 tỷ đô la. Dù vậy, Trump vẫn muốn sản xuất nhiều chip tiên tiến hơn tại Mỹ.Một đòi hỏi khiến công luận Đài Loan lo lắng. Liệu rằng điều này có làm suy yếu « lá chắn silicon », hình tượng mà người dân hòn đảo gán cho TSMC, tập đoàn sản xuất đến gần 90% chip bán dẫn tiên tiến nhất trên thế giới tại Đài Loan ?Theo nhà nghiên cứu Marc Julienne, « đúng là nhu cầu về linh kiện bán dẫn đang tăng lên và tăng rất mạnh trên toàn cầu. Trên thực tế, việc mở nhà xưởng tại Mỹ không có nghĩa là đóng cửa nhà máy tại Đài Loan mà hoàn toàn ngược lại. Hơn nữa, nghiên cứu và phát triển vẫn được thực hiện ở Đài Loan. Điều quan trọng nhất là chất bán dẫn có hiệu năng cao nhất vẫn được sản xuất tại Đài Loan. Và do vậy, Đài Loan vẫn giữ được giá trị, tầm quan trọng của mình ».« Vận mệnh trong tay chúng ta ! »Dù vậy, hai nhà nghiên cứu người Mỹ Jude Blanchette và Gerard DiPippo, trên trang RAND, lưu ý rằng, để cho những bước đi chiến thuật trên được thành công, Đài Bắc phải vượt qua ba trở ngại lớn : Thứ nhất, Đài Loan không có quan hệ ngoại giao chính thức với Hoa Kỳ. Điều này hạn chế nghiêm trọng phạm vi hành động của chính phủ Đài Loan trong việc tương tác trực tiếp với chính quyền Trump và bản thân tổng thống Trump.Thứ hai, Đài Loan biết rằng bất kỳ thỏa thuận thương mại nào giữa Mỹ và Đài Loan đều có thể bị Trung Quốc trả đũa. Và cuối cùng, Đài Bắc tin rằng bất kỳ cuộc đàm phán kinh tế nào với chính quyền Trump có nguy cơ bị lệ thuộc và có thể phụ thuộc vào các cuộc đàm phán của Washington với Bắc Kinh.Những tính toán của Đài Loan còn thêm phần phức tạp với những thay đổi nhanh chóng trong quan hệ của Mỹ với Nga và Ukraina. Mối quan hệ có thể được sưởi ấm trở lại của chính quyền Trump với điện Kremlin, quyết định thay Kiev đàm phán với Matxcơva về số phận của Ukraina và các đòn tấn công của Trump nhắm vào Zelensky khiến công luận Đài Loan lo lắng khi nhìn thấy có sự tương đồng với tình hình bấp bênh của chính họ.Việc ngày 13/02/2025, bộ Ngoại Giao Mỹ rút lại câu « chúng tôi không hậu thuẫn độc lập Đài Loan » trong bản tin thông lệ chưa hẳn đồng nghĩa với việc Washington ủng hộ Đài Bắc độc lập. Theo quan điểm của nhà nghiên cứu về chính sách đối ngoại Trung Quốc, Chee Meng Tan, trường đại học Nottingham Malaysia, sự thay đổi kín đáo của chính quyền Trump liên quan đến lập trường của Mỹ đối với Đài Loan hoàn toàn nhằm dụng ý kinh tế, có thể giúp Donald Trump có thêm trọng lượng trong đàm phán thương mại với Bắc Kinh.Thế nên, trong bối cảnh bất ổn địa chính trị gia tăng như hiện nay, Đài Loan không thể giữ nguyên chiến thuật mà họ đã dùng trong thập kỷ qua. Quân đội Trung Quốc đã phát triển quá mạnh trong khi Hoa Kỳ đang trong quá trình xem xét lại lịch sử các cam kết an ninh ở bên ngoài. Tất cả những điều này dẫn đến một kết luận không thể tránh khỏi : Đài Loan phải làm nhiều hơn nữa cho khả năng phòng thủ và phục hồi của chính mình.Tổng thư ký Hội Đồng An Ninh Quốc Gia Đài Loan gần đây đã tuyên bố : « Số phận của chúng ta giờ nằm trong tay chúng ta » !

Watch every episode ad-free & uncensored on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyjones Eric Czuleger is a National Security student at the RAND Corporation who is focused on using emerging technology to solve persistent challenges in emerging economies, conflict zones, and thriving ecosystems alike. Eric has lived and worked in over 45 countries as an aid volunteer, journalist, and tech storyteller. SPONSORS https://AmericanFinancing.net/Jones - Disclaimer NMLS 182334 nmlsconsumeraccess.org http://morning.ver.so/danny - Use code DANNY for 15% off your first order. https://huel.com/danny - Use code DANNY for 15% off your first order + a free gift. https://www.magicmind.com/dannyjones - Use this link for 50% off a subscription. https://whiterabbitenergy.com/?ref=DJP - Use code DJP for 20% off. GUEST LINKS https://x.com/eczuleger Eric's book: https://amzn.to/3ppXZ6b Eric's newsletter: https://t.co/RQgtbd89rJ FOLLOW DANNY JONES https://www.instagram.com/dannyjones https://twitter.com/jonesdanny OUTLINE 00:00 - Everyone should start their own country 11:30 - America's biggest geopolitical vulnerability 13:26 - 5th generation warfare 25:00 - Operation Doppelganger 33:36 - Russia's psychological warfare on Americans 39:28 - LLMs and social media psych warfare 47:30 - Why is Israel blamed for JFK assassination 53:12 - The rational actor model 58:03 - Napoleon's p**is problem 01:11:09 - Christianity is infiltrating Silicon Valley 01:26:37 - The moon landing 01:42:25 - Government transparency 01:52:29 - Kessler syndrome 01:56:29 - Spreadsheet warfare 02:07:37 - Russia manipulating the information space 02:15:28 - Risk of crowd control weapons 02:22:47 - China's police stations in America 02:35:00 - USAID 02:53:55 - Working at RAND corporation 02:58:56 - America's information defense strategy 03:04:19 - Truth decay Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cyberkrieg in der Ukraine: Wie sich militärische Cyberoperationen im Verlauf des Krieges verändert haben In der neuesten Folge des Percepticon Podcasts werfen wir einen detaillierten Blick auf die Entwicklung militärischer Cyberoperationen im Ukrainekrieg. Im dritten Kriegsjahr zeigt sich, dass sich die Logik und der Nutzen von Cyberangriffen grundlegend gewandelt haben – von öffentlichkeitswirksamer Disruption hin zu strategischer Unterstützung konventioneller Kriegsführung. Während zu Beginn des Krieges russische Cyberangriffe vor allem auf öffentlichkeitswirksame Disruption und psychologische Beeinflussung abzielten, hat sich der Fokus mittlerweile auf strategische Unterstützung konventioneller Kriegsführung verlagert. Besonders auffällig ist die zunehmende Integration von Cyberoperationen in klassische militärische Taktiken, etwa durch gezielte Spionage und Informationsbeschaffung zur Zielerfassung für Artillerieangriffe. Themen sind: Entwicklung russischer Cyberstrategien: Von disruptiven Angriffen auf zivile Infrastruktur hin zu gezielten Operationen gegen militärische Systeme. Die Rolle der ukrainischen Cyberabwehr: Wie effektive Verteidigungsmaßnahmen die operative Komplexität russischer Angriffe reduziert haben. Vergleich mit konventionellen Waffen: Warum Drohnen, Artillerie und Marschflugkörper oft effektiver sind als Cyberangriffe. Langfristige Lehren: Welche Implikationen der Ukrainekrieg für zukünftige Konflikte hat und wie sich Cyberoperationen weiterentwickeln könnten. Cyberangriffe haben sich als weniger zerstörerisch erwiesen, als viele Analysten ursprünglich erwartet hatten. Stattdessen dienen sie primär der Aufklärung, Subversion und psychologischen Einflussnahme. Der Podcast beleuchtet auch die Grenzen von Cyberoperationen und zeigt, warum sie oft nur eine unterstützende Rolle spielen – insbesondere in einem Zermürbungskrieg, bei dem konventionelle Waffen wie Drohnen und Artillerie entscheidend sind. Shownotes https://percepticon.de/2022/31-russland-ukraine-konflikt-in-der-digitalen-domaene/ https://percepticon.de/2022/32-cyber-konflikt-zwischen-russland-und-der-ukraine-hot-take-25-02-2022/ AFP, Staff Writer With. 2024. “Russia Could Be Able to Attack NATO by 2030: German Intelligence.” The Defense Post (blog). October 15, 2024. https://thedefensepost.com/2024/10/14/russia-attack-nato-2030/. Balmforth, Tom. 2024. “Exclusive: Russian Hackers Were inside Ukraine Telecoms Giant for Months.” Reuters, January 5, 2024, sec. Europe. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-hackers-were-inside-ukraine-telecoms-giant-months-cyber-spy-chief-2024-01-04/. Bateman, Jon. 2022. “Russia's Wartime Cyber Operations in Ukraine: Military Impacts, Influences, and Implications.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2022/12/russias-wartime-cyber-operations-in-ukraine-military-impacts-influences-and-implications?lang=en. Bryjka, Filip. 2024. “Russia Intensifies Disinformation Offensive Against Ukraine.” 2024. https://pism.pl/publications/russia-intensifies-disinformation-offensive-against-ukraine. Cattler, David, and Daniel Black. 2022. “The Myth of the Missing Cyberwar | Foreign Affairs.” April 6, 2022. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/ukraine/2022-04-06/myth-missing-cyberwar. Charap, Samuel, and Khrystyna Holynska. 2024. “Russia's War Aims in Ukraine: Objective-Setting and the Kremlin's Use of Force Abroad.” RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2061-6.html. Faulconbridge, Guy. 2024. “Putin Says Russia Is Carving out a Buffer Zone in Ukraine's Kharkiv Region.” Reuters, May 17, 2024, sec. Europe. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-russia-is-carving-out-buffer-zone-ukraines-kharkiv-region-2024-05-17/. Fleming, Jeremy. 2022. “The Head of GCHQ Says Vladimir Putin Is Losing the Information War in Ukraine.” August 18, 2022. https://www.economist.

Ralph welcomes Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, whose group has filed eight lawsuits that have significantly slowed the Trump/Musk cabal's attempt to dismantle the government. Then, our resident Constitutional scholar Bruce Fein reports on Public Interest Law Day at Harvard Law School and how important it is for law schools in general to step up to meet this constitutional crisis. Plus, Ralph answers listener questions!Robert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on a wide variety of issues ranging from corporate accountability and government transparency, to trade and globalization, to economic and regulatory policy. As the President of Public Citizen, he has spearheaded the effort to loosen the chokehold corporations and the wealthy have over our democracy.The efforts in the courts are really vital to stem the illegal, unconstitutional actions of the administration, but also to show that there's a way to fight back. In these early days and months of the administration, there's been a sense that Trump is inevitable and unstoppable. And the actions in the courts, I think, have been really critical to illustrating that that's not true.Robert WeissmanIt's open season for the polluters. And of course, they're also promoting in a variety of ways a rush towards climate catastrophe by undoing the positive measures that have come recently from the Biden administration to deal with the climate crisis.Robert WeissmanIf you pull back all the enforcement rules, and you say we're not going to enforce the rules that are left over, corporations get the message. And they're going to bemore reckless, and it's a near certainty that we're going to have many more serious industrial disasters as a direct result of what they're doing at EPA and other agencies.Robert WeissmanBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.If we don't inform the public (with the law students as well as others in the lead), we're not going to have rule of law and Harvard Law School will become an irrelevancy. It will be a museum piece.Bruce FeinI think the country and the law students are going to pay a price. They're being very narrow and myopic with regard to their immediate preoccupation with their trade school, where they're going to work the next day, and very little given to the fact that if we don't have a country anymore, they aren't going to have a legal career.Bruce FeinIt's a more cowardly, timid type of law school whose explanations are still ready to be discovered. It's a real puzzle…because they have tenure, they have status, they have wealth, and they have the ability to defend themselves because they're skilled lawyers.Ralph NaderNews 4/2/251. Our top stories this week are on the topic of corporate crime. First, the American Prospect reports that the Trump administration is seeking to reverse a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau case against Townstone, a mortgage brokerage firm that blatantly discouraged potential Black borrowers. According to the Prospect, Townstone's owners Barry Sturner and David Hochberg vigorously promoted their firm though “personal-finance call-in infomercials,” on Chicago's WGN radio station. During these infomercials, which generated 90 percent of Townstone's business, Sturner and Hochberg “characterized the South Side of Chicago as a ‘war zone,' downtown Chicago as a ‘jungle' that turned on Friday and Saturday into ‘hoodlum weekend,'” and so on. As the Prospect notes, if Sturner and Hochberg were simply airing these views that would be perfectly legal, however unsavory. Instead, this program is “an informercial, which generates 90 percent of the brokerage's leads, which the brokerage pays WGN to air, presumably punctuated at regular intervals by some phrase along the lines of ‘an equal housing lender.'” Therefore, this rhetoric was determined to have violated the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and the Community Reinvestment Act. The remarkable thing about this case is that it was brought by the Trump administration's CFPB between 2017 and 2020. Townstone eventually settled the case for a little over $100,000. Yet, just last week, the Trump administration 2.0 returned the money to Townstone posting “a long press release about how ‘abusive' and ‘unjust' the whole case had been.” This episode highlights just how much more extreme the new Trump administration is, even compared to the old one.2. Another outrageous case of corporate criminal leniency comes to us from Rick Claypool, a corporate crime expert at Public Citizen. For background, CNBC reports that Trump has “pardoned three co-founders of the BitMEX global cryptocurrency exchange, as well as…a former high-ranking employee.” As this piece explains, the co-founders received criminal sentences of probation…and were ordered to pay civil fines totaling $30 million,” after “Prosecutors accused the men of effectively operating BitMEX as a ‘money laundering platform' …[and] ‘a sham.'” But Trump went beyond pardoning the corporate criminals involved. As Claypool noted, “the crypto corporation pled guilty and was sentenced in January to two years' probation,” leading Claypool to wonder whether Trump would pardon the corporation itself. His question was answered on March 29th when Law360 reported that yes, Trump pardoned the business entity. This is the logical endpoint of regarding corporations as people. Not only will individual crooks be let off the hook, the whole crooked enterprise will come out unscathed.3. New evidence confirms the redistribution of wealth from working people to the capitalist class. A February 2025 RAND Corporation study titled “Measuring the Income Gap from 1975 to 2023” finds that, “the bottom 90 percent of workers would have earned $3.9 trillion more with..more even growth rates [since 1975],” resulting in a “cumulative amount of $79 trillion.” This study extends prior estimates by factoring in “inflation, growth in inequality, and a longer time frame.” And even more recently, an April 2025 article in the Journal of Political Economy, titled “How the Wealth Was Won: Factor Shares as Market Fundamentals,” finds that “40% of [the increase in real per capita value of corporate equity, which grew at an annual rate of 7.2% between 1989 and 2017]…was attributable to a reallocation of rewards to shareholders in a decelerating economy, primarily at the expense of labor compensation.” This study estimates “Economic growth accounted for just 25% of the increase,” and compares this period to the preceding era, “1952–88, [which] experienced only one-third as much growth in market equity, but economic growth accounted for more than 100% of it.” Taken together, these studies starkly illustrate an American economic machine built to make the rich even richer and the poor ever poorer.4. On the other end of the criminal penalty spectrum, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that they will seek the death penalty for alleged UnitedHealthcare assassin Luigi Mangione, the BBC reports. The first Trump administration saw the resumption of the federal death penalty after a 16-year hiatus; the Biden administration then issued a new moratorium and commuted the sentences of most federal death row prisoners. Since returning to power, Trump has aggressively pursued federal executions once again.5. In more positive legal news, NBC reports French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was found guilty Monday of embezzling over €3 million of European Union funds. The National Rally party leader was sentenced to four years in prison (with two on house arrest and two suspended), a €100,000 fine, and a ban on holding political office for five years – making her ineligible for the 2027 French presidential election, which polls showed her leading. Her party will, for the time being, be led by her protégé 29-year-old Jordan Bardella. It is unclear if he will enjoy the same popularity Ms. Le Pen held. She announced that she plans to appeal the verdict, but will remain ineligible for public office unless and until she wins that case.6. In more international news, British police last week executed a shocking raid on a congregation of the Quakers. The Guardian reports, “More than 20 uniformed police, some equipped with Tasers, forced their way into the Westminster meeting house…[and] seized attenders' phones and laptops.” In a statement, Paul Parker, the recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, said “No one has been arrested in a Quaker meeting house in living memory… This aggressive violation of our place of worship and the forceful removal of young people holding a protest group meeting clearly shows what happens when a society criminalises protest.” The stated charge is the absurd “conspiracy to cause a public nuisance.” A report on the incident in Church Times adds a statement from Oliver Robertson, head of witness and worship for Quakers in Britain, who said “This raid is not an isolated incident. It reflects a growing trend of excessive policing under new laws brought in by the previous government, which are now being enforced by the current administration.” Even former Tory minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, criticized the raid, stating “There has long been a tradition in this country…that religious spaces should not be invaded by the forces of law and order unless absolutely necessary.”7. Of course, the outrageous use of lawfare on Israel's behalf continues in the halls of Congress as well. In a letter, Congressmen Jim Jordan, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast – famous for his role as an American volunteer for the IDF – have announced their intention to investigate activist groups critical of the Israeli government – within Israel. According to the Jerusalem Post, these NGOs are being investigated to, “ascertain whether funding they allegedly received from the Biden administration was utilized for the judicial reform protests in 2023.” These groups include the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and Blue and White Future, among others.8. The government's use of brute force to muzzle criticism of Israel continues to rock academia. At Harvard, the Crimson reports 82 of Harvard Law School's 118 active professors have signed a letter which “accused the federal government of exacting retribution on lawyers and law firms for representing clients and causes opposed by President Donald Trump…described Trump's threats as a danger to the rule of law…[and] condemned the government for intimidating individuals based on their past public statements and threatening international students with deportation over ‘lawful speech and political activism.'” The letter reads, in part, “we share a conviction that our Constitution, including its First Amendment, was designed to make dissent and debate possible without fear of government punishment. Neither a law school nor a society can properly function amidst such fear.” This letter stands in stark contrast to the recent statement by Harvard President Alan Garber, in which he pledged to “engage” with the federal government's demands in order to protect the university's $9 billion in federal funding.9. Last week, we reported on the “lynching” of Hamdan Ballal, the Palestinian co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land – and how the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences dithered before ultimately releasing a milquetoast statement decrying violence against “artists for their work or their viewpoints,” with no mention of Palestine or even Ballal's name. This caused so much uproar among Academy members that nearly 900 of them signed a letter “denouncing the Academy's silence,” per Variety. The letter and full list of signatories can be found here. Shamed, the Academy leadership was forced to issue a follow-up statement expressing their “regret that we failed to directly acknowledge Mr. Ballal and the film by name.” This statement continues “We sincerely apologize to Mr. Ballal…We abhor the suppression of free speech under any circumstances.”10. Finally, speaking of shame, the Hill reports that the shame of Congressional Republicans is giving Democrats a golden opportunity. According to this piece, “House Democrats are ramping up their aggressive strategy of conducting town halls in Republican-held districts, vying to exploit the GOP's advised moratorium on the events to make inroads with frustrated voters, pick up battleground seats, and flip control of the House in next year's midterms.” One Democrat, Bernie Sanders' 2020 campaign co-chair Ro Khanna, has held three town halls in Republican-held districts, whose main takeaway was “People are mad.” Republicans who have bucked the GOP leadership and held town halls anyway, such as Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman and Indiana congresswoman Victoria Spartz have found themselves looking down the barrel of constituents furious at the conduct of the administration in general and DOGE in particular. This, combined with the upset Democratic victories in recent special elections, has the GOP on a defensive backfoot for the first time in months. Could we be looking at the beginning of a Democratic tea party? Only time will tell.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

⭐️ Join the School for School Counselors Mastermind today to become the school counselor you were meant to be. ⭐️**********************************You get the call:“Can you come get this student?”But when you walk in, it's clear- this isn't really about the kid.It's about stress. Dysregulation. Maybe even burnout. For the adult.And if school counselors keep stepping in without asking bigger questions, we're not solving the problem… we're just keeping the cycle going.In this episode, we're talking about:How to tell when a referral isn't about student behaviorThe Five-Minute Behavior Consult you can use with teachers todayHow to support staff without becoming the fixerWhy this shift protects your energy- and your jobIf behavior support is starting to feel like your full-time job, this episode is for you.00:00 Introduction: The Daily Struggles of School Counselors02:10 Understanding Adult Dysregulation in Schools07:17 Identifying Signs of Adult-Induced Student Behavior Issues11:30 The Five Minute Behavior Consult: A Solution-Focused Approach17:35 Implementing Change Despite Administrative Challenges21:00 The Role of School Counselors in Shaping School Culture24:40 Elevating the Role of School CounselorsReferences:Gallup. (2022, June 1). K-12 workers have highest burnout rate in U.S. Gallup News. https://news.gallup.com/poll/393500/workers-highest-burnout-rate.aspxSchwartz, S. (2022, June 15). Stress, burnout, depression: Teachers and principals are not OK right now, new data confirm. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/stress-burnout-depression-teachers-and-principals-are-not-doing-well-new-data-confirm/2022/06Steiner, E. D., & Woo, A. (2021). Job-related stress threatens the teacher supply: Key findings from the 2021 State of the U.S. Teacher Survey (RR-A1108-1). RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1108-1.html**********************************Our goal at School for School Counselors is to help school counselors stay on fire, make huge impacts for students, and catalyze change for our roles through grassroots advocacy and collaboration. Listen to get to know more about us and our mission, feel empowered and inspired, and set yourself up for success in the wonderful world of school counseling.Hang out in our Facebook groupJump in, ask questions, share your ideas and become a part of the most empowering school counseling group on the planet! (Join us to see if we're right.)Join the School for School Counselors MastermindThe Mastermind is packed with all the things your grad program never taught you IN ADDITION TO unparalleled support and consultation. No more feeling alone, invisible, unappreciated, or like you just don't know what to do next. We've got you!Did someone share this podcast with you? Be sure to subscribe for all the new episodes!!

Two months into U.S. President Donald Trump's second term, the U.S.-Chinese relationship—the most consequential one in the world by a long stretch—faces new uncertainty. Trump has threatened larger tariffs as China has continued its military buildup and activities in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea. But Trump has also focused his ire on allied capitals, rather than on Beijing, and talked about making a deal with his “very good friend” Xi Jinping. In a recent essay for Foreign Affairs, Jude Blanchette and Ryan Hass stressed the importance, and highlighted the challenge, of understanding the balance of power with America's top rival. The biggest risk, they argue, is not that Washington will underestimate China's strength, but that it will neglect the sources of its own. Blanchette runs the China Research Center at the RAND Corporation; Hass, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, long worked on China policy at the National Security Council and State Department. They joined editor Dan Kurtz-Phelan to discuss Beijing's assessment of American power, the prospects for a “grand bargain” between Trump and Xi, and whether fears of American decline risk becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview.

Is the Chinese military really ready for war? In this episode, Chris and Matt speak with Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at RAND Corporation, about his provocative new report The Chinese Military's Doubtful Combat Readiness. Heath argues that the PLA remains deeply shaped by its political mission to preserve CCP rule—and is poorly optimized for high-end combat. They discuss how China's military modernization masks enduring political constraints, why in his view war over Taiwan remains unlikely, and what China might do instead to challenge US interests through proxy warfare, cyber, and global coercion. Heath also explores the CCP's legitimacy crisis, China's evolving strategic partnerships with Russia and Iran, and why the specter of global systemic war can't be ruled out. Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, geopolitics, and current affairs. Please share this episode using these links YouTube: https://youtu.be/ruZFgM3oLhM Podfollow: https://pod.fo/e/2be562 Read Timothy's reporting The Chinese Military's Doubtful Combat Readiness: https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA830-1.html Timothy's other work for the RAND Corporation: https://www.rand.org/about/people/h/heath_timothy_r.html Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our Redbubble shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996 Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com Connect with us on social media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fultonmatt.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social Secrets and Spies is produced by F & P LTD. Music by Andrew R. Bird Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode unpacks global events through the lens of intelligence and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and analysts.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveMana Afsari is a writer and sometime contributor to Wisdom of Crowds, whose career has taken her from the RAND Corporation, to a job as an assistant to a great American poet, to the position of Research Associate at the Aspen Institute's Philosophy and Society Initiative. In January, Mana published an essay titled, “Last Boys at the Beginning of History,” a fascinating reported piece about the young men with intellectual ambitions who joined the National Conservative movement and voted for Donald Trump. The essay went viral and earned praise from both liberals and conservatives. Damon Linker of Notes from the Middleground called it “a remarkable essay that's generated considerable (and well-justified) buzz.”Mana joins Santiago Ramos and Shadi Hamid to discuss the essay and the general question of why ambitious, inquisitive and searching young men are attracted to the MAGA movement. “I am not a right wing zoologist,” Mana says, but it is important to understand where these men are coming form. These young intellectuals are not your average Trump voter. They are not the “DOGE boys,” either. But they are becoming a significant part of the GOP leadership class. Shadi wants to know why an interest in culture and ideas has led these men toward right wing spaces. Mana responds that right wing spaces, at least until recently, had a less politicized approach to culture. Many of these young men are interested in things, like history or cartography, which some suggest are “right-coded.” “Most things that are supposedly right-coded should not be right-coded,” Mana says.And what do they think of Trump? “They don't think of Trump as Odoacer, they see him as Julius Caesar. They don't see him as a barbarian, but as a restorer of the republic.”In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Shadi talks about going to a recent right wing party and says it was “a safe space, it was inclusive”; Santiago asks Shadi if he ever went to right wing parties during the War on Terror; Mana distinguishes the desire for free and open discussion versus the desire to “say whatever you want,” i.e., slurs; and Santiago argues that the Israel-Palestine conflict has made all political sides rediscover the importance of freedom of speech.Required Reading and Listening:* Mana Afsari, “Last Boys at the Beginning of History” (The Point).* Santiago Ramos, “Let Us Now Praise the Supermen” (WoC).* Santiago Ramos, “Do You Know What Time It Is?” (WoC).* Damir Marusic, “Barbarians at the Gate” (WoC).* Shadi Hamid, “Why Half of America is Cheering for Chaos” (Washington Post). * Wisdom of Crowds podcast episode, “The Masculine World is Adrift” (WoC).* Henry Kissinger quote about Trump (Financial Times).* Vittoria Elliot, “The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk's Government Takeover” (Wired).* Norman Podhoretz, Ex-Friends: Falling Out with Allen Ginsberg, Lionel and Diana Trilling, Lillian Hellman, Hannah Arendt and Norman Mailer (Amazon). * C. P. Cavafy, “Waiting for the Barbarians” (Poetry Foundation). * Odoacer (Britannica).* Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman, What are Children For? On Ambivalence and Choice (Amazon). This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Free preview video:Full video for paid subscribers below:

In just three months, Romania has gone from a stable and loyal member of the European Union and Nato, to a country where a far-right, pro-Russia figure has come from almost nowhere to become favourite for the presidency. A result which has sent shockwaves across the continent. In November Calin Georgescu, with no affiliated political party and whose campaign has been largely on social media, won the first round of Presidential elections in Romania. But then serious allegations surfaced over the legitimacy of Georgescu's campaign, resulting in the Constitutional Court annulling the vote and Georgescu facing charges, which he strongly denies. Presidential hopefuls have until the 15 March to register their candidacy for the new elections, which are being rerun on 4 and 18 May. As protesters take to the streets of Bucharest, will the Romanian Constitutional Court rule that Georgescu can or cannot stand? If he is allowed to stand, can he become President? And how might the Romanian elections affect the future direction of the EU and Nato?Contributors: Veronica Anghel, assistant professor at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at The European University Institute, Italy Oana Popescu-Zamfir, director of the GlobalFocus Center, associated expert at Carnegie Europe and associate researcher for the European Council on Foreign Relations, Romania Anca Agachi, defence policy analyst at RAND Corporation and a nonresident fellow at The Atlantic Council, USA Costin Ciobanu, political scientist with Aarhus University, Denmark Presenter: Tanya BeckettProducer: Vicky Carter Researcher: Katie Morgan Production Co-ordinator: Liam Morrey Technical producer: Nicky Edwards Editor: Tara McDermottImage credit: Andrei Pungovschi via Getty Images

Feb 19, 2025 – A few years back we discussed a report looking at military planning around brain implants and other genetic modifications. Today, we cover a recent report produced by the RAND Corporation which considers six potential scenarios...

Is China's unstoppable rise actually a carefully constructed illusion? In this recentWhoWhatWhy podcast, I talk with Timothy Heath, a senior international defense researcher at RAND Corporation who spent over 15 years in the US government analyzing military and political issues related to China. Heath peels back layers of propaganda to reveal a surprisingly fragile superpower wrestling with existential challenges.

Communist versions of history! USAID, Church "Sanctuary." Alligators "brumating"! Don't be bitter at injustice! Don't judge emotionally!The Hake Report, Tuesday, February 4, 2025 ADTIMESTAMPS* (0:00:00) Start* (0:00:48) Topics* (0:06:15) Hey, guys!* (0:07:51) TONY, PA, Homestead Act, 1862, MLK* (0:14:47) TONY: "Jesus is God" confirmation bias* (0:16:23) TONY: Catholics, History, Ideas, Romans* (0:21:38) "JIMMY," Hymn Ditty, FL: Terrorism definition change?* (0:31:44) USAID drama* (0:38:57) James Martin SJ on Jesus and Musk* (0:45:12) Churches Sanctuary* (0:55:33) RAND Corporation* (0:57:41) China Virus hype messed up HS sports careers* (0:59:54) Alligators brumating!* (1:11:14) ALEX, CA, Trump: Warp Speed, BLM, Illegal protesters* (1:16:21) ALEX: Feelings fleeting* (1:21:05) DubyaT1: Snake Puppet* (1:23:59) Popcorn: DEI and Paul Mooney* (1:31:28) Coffee: Son of Man* (1:33:19) Coffee: Canada subsidized* (1:34:47) False obedience, malicious compliance* (1:36:50) BRIAN, CA, 1st: wife breakup post-stroke, 69, HOLD* (1:39:42) JOHN, Houston, TX: Dark career path…* (1:50:47) Sixteen Horsepower - I Seen What I Saw - 1996, Sackcloth 'N' AshesLINKSBLOG https://www.thehakereport.com/blog/2025/2/4/the-hake-report-tue-2-4-25PODCAST / Substack HAKE NEWS from JLP https://www.thehakereport.com/jlp-news/2025/2/4/hake-news-tue-2-4-25Hake is live M-F 9-11a PT (11-1CT/12-2ET) Call-in 1-888-775-3773 https://www.thehakereport.com/showVIDEO YouTube - Rumble* - Facebook - X - BitChute - Odysee*PODCAST Substack - Apple - Spotify - Castbox - Podcast Addict*SUPER CHAT on platforms* above or BuyMeACoffee, etc.SHOP - Printify (new!) - Spring (old!) - Cameo | All My LinksJLP Network: JLP - Church - TFS - Nick - Joel - Punchie Get full access to HAKE at thehakereport.substack.com/subscribe

Join Stephanie Kalota, U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant First Class Veteran, founder of The Political Veteran Podcast, and AHG correspondent, as she provides key updates on public policy affecting veterans and active military personnel. In this discussion, Stephanie breaks down executive orders from Presidents Biden and Trump, the ongoing legal battles over the transgender military ban, VA secretary nominations, and major veteran issues like mental health and homelessness. Gain insight into policies shaping the military today, the Rand Corporation's research, and what lies ahead for veterans.

In this episode, we break down President Trump's repeal of the the Biden administration's Executive Order (EO) on AI (1:00), the release of the America First Trade Policy memorandum (9:52), and the Trump administration's own AI EO (15:02). We are then joined by Lennart Heim, Senior Information Scientist at the RAND Corporation to discuss the Stargate announcement (20:40), how AI company CEOs are talking about AGI (38:36), and why the latest models from DeepSeek matter (52:02).

Send us a textThe FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!The 25th Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth joins Joe for a candid conversation about leadership, self-awareness, and the evolving challenges of guiding the largest branch of the U.S. military. With over three decades of experience in national security, she shares her expectations for Army leaders, the importance of self-development, and why critical thinking and communication skills are essential for success at the highest levels.Secretary Wormuth also highlights her strong support for the Army's Command Assessment Program (CAP), emphasizing early self-development, the power of feedback, and the role of humility and reflection in building resilient leadership teams. She also stresses the importance of maintaining the Army's apolitical stance, fostering public trust, and ensuring continuity through times of change.Topics Covered:The key attributes of effective Army leadersThe role of the Command Assessment Program in shaping leadershipWhy feedback and reflection are crucial for personal growthBalancing professional and personal priorities over a long careerWhy military leaders need to remain apolitical and be non-combatants in the culture warsHonorable Christine Wormuth was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and appointed as the 25th Secretary of the U.S. Army May 28, 2021. The Secretary of the Army is the senior civilian official within the Department of Defense responsible for all matters relating to the U.S. Army.Prior to confirmation, she was the Director of the International Defense and Security Center at the RAND Corporation where she was a frequent writer and speaker on foreign policy, national security and homeland security issues.Prior to RAND, she served in several roles during the Obama Administration. From December 2010 until August 2012 she was a special assistant to the president and senior director for Defense at the National Security Council. Wormuth then served as deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Forces, and led the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review. From 2014-2016 she served in DOD as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, where she advised the Secretary of Defense on the full range of regional and functional national security issues.Wormuth entered the government as a Presidential Management Intern and began her public service career in the Policy Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 1996 through 2002. After leaving government, she worked in the private sector on defense issues, and then was a Senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies for five years. A special thanks to this week's sponsors!Veteran-founded Adyton. Step into the next generation of equipment management with Log-E by Adyton. Whether you are doing monthly inventories or preparing for deployment, Log-E is your pocket property book, giving real-time visibility into equipment status and mission readiness. Learn more about how Log-E can revolutionize your property tracking process here!Exray a veteran-owned apparel brand elevating the custom gear experience. Exray provides free design services and creates dedicated web stores for units.Onebrief, the transformative software platform redefining operational planning and military staff workflows

Live from an ESG-flavored 2025, it's an all-new Wacky Wednesday edition of Business Pants. Joined by Analyst-Hole Matt Moscardi! On today's Costco lovefest called January 8th 2025: Headlines We Missed since the end of December and the new comic book superhero named Costco!Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.DAMION1Shit We Missed (in no particular order):Tech BrosZuckDana White, UFC CEO and Trump ally, to join Meta's board of directorsZuckerberg Announces New Measures to Increase Hate Speech on FacebookMark Zuckerberg's Meta is moving moderators out of California to combat concerns about bias and censorship“Huge problems” with axing fact-checkers, Meta oversight board saysCo-chair Helle Thorning-Schmidt said she is "very concerned" about how parent company Meta's decision to ditch fact-checkers will affect minority groups: "We are seeing many instances where hate speech can lead to real-life harm, so we will be watching that space very carefully," she added.Meta Drops Rules Protecting LGBTQ Community as Part of Content Moderation OverhaulThe changes included allowing users to share “allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality.”Meta replaces policy chief Nick Clegg with former Republican staffer Joel Kaplan ahead of Trump inaugurationSamSam Altman Explodes at Board Members Who Fired Him"And all those people that I feel like really fucked me and fucked the company were gone, and now I had to clean up their mess," adding that he was "fucking depressed and tired.""And it felt so unfair," the billionaire told Bloomberg. "It was just a crazy thing to have to go through and then have no time to recover, because the house was on fire."The board's primary fiduciary duty was not to maintain shareholder value or profits, but rather to stay true to OpenAI's mission of creating safe artificial general intelligence (AGI) that benefits humanity.Helen Toner: the director of strategy at Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology.Tasha McCauley: an adjunct senior management scientist at think tank RAND Corporation. McCauley was also on the advisory board of the Centre for Effective Altruism. In 2017 she signed the Asilomar AI Principles on ethical AI development alongside Altman, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, and former board member Elon MuskOpenAI CEO Sam Altman denies sexual abuse allegations made by his sister in lawsuitMuskMaga v Musk: Trump camp divided in bitter fight over immigration policyElon Musk Endorses Nazi-Linked German Party, Even Though It Opposed Tesla's GigafactoryTech Bro Wealth12 US billionaires gained almost $1 trillion in wealth in 2024 as the stock market delivered another year of massive returnsNYT Report Says Jensen Huang, The CEO Of Nvidia And The 10th-Richest Person In The U.S., Trying To Allegedly Avoid $8 Billion In TaxesMark Zuckerberg says he doesn't have a Hawaiian doomsday bunker, just a 'little shelter.' It's bigger than most houses.You could live next door to Jeff Bezos on 'Billionaire Bunker' island for $200 millionMusk urges Bezos to throw an ‘epic wedding' after Amazon founder blasts report of $600 million nuptials as ‘completely false'Elon Musk takes aim at MacKenzie Scott again for giving billions to liberal causes, calling the gifts 'concerning'How Jensen Huang and 3 Nvidia Board Members Became BillionairesMark Zuckerberg sported a $900,000 piece of wrist candy as he announced the end of fact-checking on MetaDEI/ESG Flip-FloppingWhen an anti-DEI activist took a swing at Costco, the board hit backA Costco shareholder proposal brought by conservative activist The National Center for Public Policy Research asked the company to probe its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, with an eye toward eliminating them.The thrust of the proposal is that certain DEI initiatives could open Costco up to financial risks over discrimination lawsuits from employees who are “white, Asian, male or straight.”The company's board of directors unanimously urged shareholders to reject the proposal and made the case that Costco's success depends on establishing a racially diverse, inclusive workplace: “We believe that our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are legally appropriate, and nothing in the (Center for Public Policy Research) proposal demonstrates otherwise,” the board's statement said.The statement went on to rebuke the Center for Public Policy Research, saying that they and others were the ones responsible for inflicting financial and legal burdens on companies. “The proponent's broader agenda is not reducing the risk for the Company but abolition of diversity programs,” the board said.Costco board member defends DEI practices, rebukes companies scrapping policiesJeff Raikes, co-founder of the Raikes Foundation and former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who has served on Costco's board of directors since 2008: "Attacks on DEI aren't just bad for business—they hurt our economy. A diverse workforce drives innovation, expands markets, and fuels growth. Let's focus on building a future where all talent thrives." He concluded his post on X with the hashtag, "InclusiveEconomy." While businesses began to announce their departures from DEI policies last year, Raikes urged companies to expand such practices at work, insisting that scaling down DEI in businesses would harm the economy.Robbie Starbuck: “I fully endorse cancelling memberships at this point.”McDonald's rolls back DEI programs, ending push for greater diversityFour years after launching a push for more diversity in its ranks,McDonald's said it will retire specific goals for achieving diversity at senior leadership levels. It also intends to end a program that encourages its suppliers to develop diversity training and to increase the number of minority group members represented within their own leadership ranks.Managers 'touch up' staff: McDonald's faces fresh abuse claimsFast-food chain McDonald's has been hit by fresh allegations of sexual and homophobic abuse as staff members allege they have been 'touched up' by managers and offered extra shifts for sex.The chain first faced bombshell claims of widespread sexual abuse and harassment at its stores in July 2023 and has since been reported more than 300 times for harassment to the UK's equality watchdog.Allegations have included racist abuse, sexual assault and harassment and bullying. BlackRock Cuts Back on Board Diversity Push in Proxy-Vote GuidelinesThe policy updates remove both (a) numerical diversity targets (i.e., boards should aspire to 30% diversity of membership and have at least 2 women directors and 1 director from an underrepresented group) and (b) the related disclosure-based voting policy (i.e., BlackRock previously would consider taking voting action if a company did not adequately explain its approach to board diversity) – but provides that BlackRock may consider taking voting action if an S&P 500 board is not sufficiently diverse (BlackRock includes a footnote in the policy update suggesting that 30% diversity may still be the expectation).BlackRock's investment stewardship team tweaked the language used to describe how it approaches votes for other companies' boards. It didn't explicitly recommend that boards should aspire to at least 30% diversity of their members, after having done so in previous years.The report noted, however, that all but 2% of the boards of companies in the S&P 500 have diverse representation of at least 30%—and that if companies were out of step with those norms, BlackRock may cast opposing votes on a case-by-case basis. JPMorgan Leaves Net Zero Banking Group, Completing Departure of Major U.S. Banks Stakeholder Anger (or Anger at Stakeholders)Poll finds many Americans pin partial blame on insurance companies in UHC CEO killingA recent survey from the University of Chicago, found that, while 8 out of 10 U.S. adults believe the person who killed Brian Thompson bears the responsibility for the murder, 7 in 10 shared the belief that healthcare companies are also to blame. Luigi Mangione mention on SNL met with applause, critics slam 'woke' audience: 'Wooing for justice?'New York to charge fossil fuel companies for damage from climate changeThe new law requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state fund for infrastructure projects meant to repair or avoid future damage from climate change.Albania bans TikTok for a year after fatal stabbing of teenager last monthTeens in Vietnam will now be limited to one hour of gaming per sessionStarbucks baristas set to strike as new CEO makes $100 millionWashington Post Cartoonist Quits After Jeff Bezos Cartoon Is KilledNorway on track to be the first to ‘erase petrol and diesel engine cars'Fully electric vehicles accounted for 88.9% of new cars sold in 2024Exxon Sues California Official, Claiming He Defamed the CompanyExxon Mobil sued California's attorney general, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups on Monday, alleging that they conspired to defame the oil giant and kneecap its business prospects amid a debate over whether plastics can be recycled effectively.DystopiaMan Trying to Catch Flight Alarmed as His Driverless Waymo Gets Stuck Driving in Loop Around Parking LotAsked to Write a Screenplay, ChatGPT Started Procrastinating and Making ExcusesKlarna's CEO says AI is capable of doing his job and it makes him feel 'gloomy'Governance newsShari Redstone is saying goodbye to Paramount GlobalCharles Dolan, TV pioneer who founded HBO and Cablevision, dies at 98Richard Parsons, former Time Warner CEO, dies at age 76 Dye & Durham board resigns, activist nominees take control, interim CEO named The Fortune 500 has two new female CEOs—finally pushing that milestone above 11%And we end with a few classics:Boeing ends a troubled year with a jet-crash disaster in South KoreaMan who exploded Tesla Cybertruck outside Trump hotel used ChatGPT to plan the attackNorovirus rates have skyrocketed by 340% this season. Here's where the ‘winter vomiting disease' is spreading and whyMATT1CostcoNational Center for Public Policy Research filed the proxy with CostcoTheir arguments include…US Supreme court decision at HarvardA $25m judgment in PA for white regional manager at Starbucks who was fired after two black patrons were arrested for being blackThis gem: “With 310,000 employees, Costco likely has at least 200,000 employees who are potentially victims of this type of illegal discrimination because they are white, Asian, male or straight.”This, perhaps, is the greatest ironic argument for “meritocracy” ever made in historyThey point out that the MAJORITY OF THE STAFF is white, Asian, male, or straight… but they don't even use Costco's data, they source census data and just guessThe real numbers:Non management is 44.2% white, management is 58% white - a 14% increase in meritocracyExecutives are 80.6% white - a whopping 36.4% more meritHispanics are 33.1% of non management, 23.3% of management - 9.8% less merit!Executives are 5.8% Hispanic, 26.3% less meritAsians are 8.5% and 7.1%, so 1.4% less merit7.9% executive - so even merit?US Exec management is 72.3% maleSo 80.6% of executives are white, and 72.3% are male - and the argument NCPPR is making is that BECAUSE there are a lot of white males, there is a lot of RISK that THE WHITE MALES WILL SUE YOU if they think they're discriminated againstThink of what they're saying - because you have so many non diverse people, you can't have diversity programs for risk of lawsuitThe response dropped the pretense that the proxy was anything except racismThe proponent professes concern about legal and financial risks to the Company and its shareholders associated with the diversity initiatives. The proponent's broader agenda is not reducing risk for the Company but abolition of diversity initiatives. A 2023 federal district court decision, in a case brought by the proponent, noted that the proponent had "published a document called 'Balancing the Boardroom 2022,' which describes its shareholder activism as 'fighting back' against 'the evils of woke politicized capital and companies.' [The proponent went] on to describe 'CEOs and other corporate executives who are most woke and most hard-left political in their management of their corporations' as 'inimical to the Republic and its blessings of liberty' and 'committed to critical race theory and the socialist foundations of woke' or 'shameless monsters who are willing to sacrifice our future for their comforts.'" National Center for Public Policy Research v. Schultz, E.D. WA. (Sept. 11, 2023). And the proponent's efforts to demonstrate retrenchment on the part of companies are misleading, at best. For example, the assertion that "Microsoft laid off an entirea[sic] DEI team" is simply wrong. It was later reported that Microsoft stated that the two positions eliminated were redundant roles on its events team and that Microsoft's diversity and inclusion commitments remain unchanged, according to Jeff Jones, a Microsoft spokesperson: “Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritizing accountability, and continuing to focus on this work.” Colvin, Caroline. Amid DEI cuts, Microsoft works to distinguish itself from those responding to ‘woke' backlash. HR Dive, July 24, 2024.Reason Costco might be pushing back?Racism is basically unveiledOf all the companies targeted by a proposal or Robbie Starbuck, Costco has the lowest deviation in board member influence - as in, nearly the entire board has equal power, it's highly democratic - women, men, diverse cohorts are more or less equally powerful to anyone else in the roomNo connections to any board member on another DEI flipper companyMeanwhile, the anti DEI, anti immigrant movement has begun to eat itself before Trump even takes officeIn defense of more HB1 visas and foreign workers, Vivek Ramaswamy says we venerate jocks over valedictorians on Twitter, and Americans aren't as good employeesThe rebuttal was MAGA Trumpers saying Vivek is fake MAGAAlso this: “His entire argument is a terrible proposition,” he adds. “Children raised to be good little robots might grow up to build robots of their own someday, and become rich. Asians are the highest-earning racial group in America, but are they happier for it? Suicide is the leading cause of death for Asians aged 15-24 … and the second-leading cause of death for those aged 25-34.” Page points to a Psychology Today post that blames tiger parenting for causing anxiety and depression and then asks, “Do we really want this country to be even more stressed-out?”Costco proxy says Asians are discriminated againstTwitch gamers are streaming about “meritocracy”

Ein neuer Bericht der RAND Corporation deckt gravierende Mängel in der Verteidigungsstrategie der USA auf. In einer Zeit geopolitischer Spannungen und technologischer Fortschritte sei das Land nicht ausreichend auf mögliche Konflikte mit China, Russland oder anderen potenziellen Gegnern vorbereitet.

Bruce Hoffman is a tenured professor in Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service where from 2010 to 2017 he was the Director of both the Center for Security Studies and of the Security Studies Program and from 2020-2023 the director of the Center for Jewish Civilization. In addition, Professor Hoffman is Professor Emeritus of Terrorism Studies at St Andrews University, Scotland. He previously held the Corporate Chair in Counterterrorism and Counterinsurgency at the RAND Corporation and was also Director of RAND's Washington, D.C. Office. Professor Hoffman also served as RAND's Vice President for External Affairs and as Acting Director of RAND's Center for Middle East Public Policy.Appointed by the U.S. Congress to serve as a commissioner on the Independent Commission to Review the FBI's Post-9/11 Response to Terrorism and Radicalization, Professor Hoffman was a lead author of the commission's final report. 

Conversations on Groong - December 22, 2024Topics:  - U.S. Imperialism: The mindset, global influence, and comparisons with other powers.  - Think Tanks & Policy: How defense-funded institutions shape U.S. military decisions.Guest: Matthew HohHosts:  - Hovik Manucharyan  - Asbed BedrossianEpisode 400 | Recorded: December 20, 2024Show Notes: https://podcasts.groong.org/400Video: https://youtu.be/iKr_rT_uGKwSubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

Day 1,024.Today, amid renewed Russian bombardments across the entirety of Ukraine, we consider the impact of new weapons of war. Then, our first formal dispatch from the frontline city of Kharkiv.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.Michael Bohnert (Engineer & Researcher, RAND Corporation). @mbohnert on X.With thanks to Oleh Synyehubov, Governor of Kharkiv Oblast.Articles Referenced:‘A brilliant journalist and brilliant human being': David Knowles remembered with Public Service Awardhttps://pressgazette.co.uk/news/david-knowles-francis-dearnley-public-service-british-journalism-awards-2024/Russian spy ring ‘plotted to exploit small boats crisis to abduct journalist in UK'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/10/russian-spy-ring-plotted-to-exploit-small-boats-crisis-to-a/Russian missile scientist ‘assassinated by Ukrainian special forces'https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/12/12/russian-cruise-missiles-designer-assassinated-by-ukraine/Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special edition podcast, N2K's Executive Editor Brandon Karpf talks with author, CEO and cybersecurity advisor Dr. Bilyana Lilly about her new novel "Digital Mindhunters." Book Overview In a high-stakes game of espionage and deception, a female analyst uncovers Russia's plot to wield artificial intelligence, espionage, and disinformation as weapons of chaos against the United States. As she races against time to thwart an assassination plot, she finds herself entangled in a web of international intrigue and discovers a parallel threat from a Chinese spy network aiming to steal data, manipulate American voters, and harness technology to dismantle the very foundations of U.S. democracy. In a world where lies are a weapon and trust is a luxury, she navigates the treacherous worlds of arms dealers, hackers, and spies to protect her country. About the author Dr. Bilyana Lilly is a cybersecurity and information warfare expert. She advises senior executives in the private and public sector on how to mitigate cybersecurity risk across their enterprises. Dr. Lilly serves on the Advisory Boards of the venture capital firm Night Dragon and the cybersecurity firm RunSafe Security. She chairs the Democratic Resilience Track of the Warsaw Security Forum and is an adjunct senior advisor for critical infrastructure and resilience at the Institute for Security and Technology. Her previous roles include a manager at Deloitte's Financial Cybersecurity Practice and a fellow at the RAND Corporation. Dr. Lilly holds a PhD in policy analysis and cyber security, and three master's degrees, including an honors degree from Oxford University. Her book "Russian Information Warfare" became a bestseller and is on display at the Pentagon. Dr. Lilly is a mentor and a speaker at RSA, DefCon, CyCon, and the Executive Women's Forum. She has been denounced by Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and called cyber expert by Tom Hanks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Conversations on GroongTopics:Turkey's Role in the 44-Day WarNATO and Intelligence SharingGlobal Power RivalriesLessons from U.S. Intelligence PracticesGuest: Karen KwiatkowskiHosts:Hovik ManucharyanAsbed BedrossianEpisode 392 | Recorded: December 2, 2024https://podcasts.groong.org/392#Armenia #NagornoKarabakh #Artsakh #KarenKwiatkowski #44DayWar #Turkey #NATO #Geopolitics #MiddleEast #USForeignPolicySubscribe and follow us everywhere you are: linktr.ee/groong

Kent Heckenlively, author of Inside The Sony Hack: The Story Behind America's Most Notorious Brink-of-War Cover-Up, talks to Shaun about the 10 year anniversary of the infamous Sony Hack and exposes the connections between Sony Pictures, the RAND Corporation, and U.S. intelligence agencies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mainstream media SUCKS! PLUS, Kent Heckenlively, author of Inside The Sony Hack: The Story Behind America's Most Notorious Brink-of-War Cover-Up, talks to Shaun about the 10 year anniversary of the infamous Sony Hack and exposes the connections between Sony Pictures, the RAND Corporation, and U.S. intelligence agencies.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Sinica, I chat with Michael Swaine, Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute for the last couple of years, prior to which he spent nearly two decades as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he led extensive work on Chinese defense and foreign policy, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian international relations more broadly. He was also a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he developed a reputation for rigorous research on Asian security and crisis management. We focus on his recent report, “Avoiding the Abyss: An Urgent Need for Sino-U.S. Crisis Management,” which offers both a framework for understanding the forces driving U.S.-China crises and a roadmap to prevent or manage these crises effectively. He drew on his many decades of experience working on the security dimension of the bilateral relationship, including his participation in many Track II dialogues and simulations of crisis scenarios over the years.4:51 – Defining "crisis" and "crisis prevention" 10:13 – The possibility of a crisis in the South China Sea12:31 – Lessons from past crises 20:08 – The problematic moralistic stances and tit-for-tat escalation produced by yǒulǐ, yǒulì, yǒu jié 有理, 有利, 有节27:37 – U.S. concern over the credibility of its alliance commitments 34:50 – The problem of perception 38:16 – Examples of how each side is sometimes unable to see how its own actions are perceived by the other 41:20 – The dangers of failing to understand and making assumptions about the China's historical memory 45:42 – Problems of signaling and how best to solve them 51:17 – Mike's suggestions for a crisis toolkit and his proposal of a civilian-led two-tier dialogue structure 58:41 – Track II dialogues 1:02:47 – The importance of educating leaders up and down the system on crisis management 1:06:08 – The structural issues of the decision-making systems in China and the U.S.Recommendations:Michael: Art critic Brian Sewell's The Reviews That Caused the Rumpus; Robert Suettinger's The Conscience of the Party: Hu Yaobang, China's Communist Reformer Kaiser: The Great Transformation: China's Road from Revolution to Reform by Odd Arne Westad and Chen Jian See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Rand Waltzman returns to the Cognitive Crucible to discuss his famous Disinformation 101 series. Recording Date: 18 Nov 2024 Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #1 Rand Waltzman on Cognitive Security #100 Rand Waltzman on the Metaverse and Immersive Virtual Reality Disinformation 101 LinkedIn Posts: Cognitive Technical Cyber Hacking Cognitive Denial of Service Tip 1 Cognitive Denial of Service Tip 2 Exploit the Need to Believe Sowing Seeds of Discord (Part 1) The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: Dr. Rand Waltzman has 40 years of experience performing and managing research in Artificial Intelligence applied to domains including social media and cognitive security in the information environment. He is former Deputy Chief Technology Officer and currently an Adjunct Senior Information Scientist at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, CA. He is also a founding board member of the Information Professionals Association. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

With over 11 years of experience as the CEO and Founder of AgencyAgile, Inc., I help agencies, digital shops, consultancies, and other project-driven organizations achieve higher productivity, quality, and happiness. I leverage my background in finance, entrepreneurship, industrial engineering, and computer science, as well as my certifications in Scrum and Coaching, to deliver customized solutions that address the most endemic problems in the agency world. I am also the author of "Unmanaged: The proven way to unleash productivity and happiness in today's most complex and over-managed organizations", a book that synthesizes 50+ years of behavioral and cognitive research insights with AgencyAgile's work with over 200 clients. My mission is to enable teams and projects to speed effectively to success, while creating a more positive and collaborative workplace culture. I am a two-time Inc-500 award winner, a former RAND Corporation senior analyst, and a former post-graduate teacher at USC and RAND.

Day 990.Today, we consider the Trump peace plan reportedly being mooted by his staffers, hear live from another vital summit of European leaders, and discuss a ‘shopping list' of weapons and permissions Western leaders could action over the next two months to support Ukraine. Later, following the missile damage to Kharkiv's iconic Derzhprom building, we do a deeper dive into the impact of this war on Ukrainian heritage and architecture.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.James Crisp (Europe Editor). @JamesCrisp6 on X.Michael Bohnert (Engineer & Researcher, RAND Corporation. @mbohnert on X.With thanks to Ievgeniia Gubkina, Ukrainian architect, architectural and urban historian, and curator. @BartlettArchUCL on X.Articles Referenced:Trump mulls Ukraine peace plan: British troops patrolling an 800-mile buffer zone (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/11/07/donald-trump-ukraine-peace-plan-british-troops-buffer-zone/Trump Promised to End the War in Ukraine. Now He Must Decide How (Wall Street Journal):https://www.wsj.com/world/trump-presidency-ukraine-russia-war-plans-008655c0Subscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Buyer Personalization Drives Revenue Generate more qualified leads that close and upsell faster from each buyer or customer interaction.  https://winalytics.com/ According to Gartner, Forrester, and McKinsey, 75% of B2B buyers expect deep personalization, and companies that get this right grow 2x faster than their peers. Easy to say, harder to do. Buyer personalization means not product pitching but telling a personalized story about value in each buyer interaction. Top sales teams understand this is only possible with shared sales playbooks to capture and share best practices for personalized messaging. Top marketing teams tell the same story about value across their website, content, campaigns and sales conversations. Brent Keltner, Ph.D. is founder and President of Winalytics LLC, a go-to-market- and revenue acceleration consultancy. He is also author of The Revenue Acceleration Playbook. Winalytics helps clients reach their top growth potential by shifting from product-driven conversations to authentic conversations that anchor on buyer-defined value. Before starting Winalytics, Brent spent more than a decade as a revenue leader in enterprise to early stage companies, including Kaplan, Eduventures, Plus Delta Partners and CollegiateLink. He began his career as a Ph.D. social scientist and spent 10 years conducting qualitative research interviews at Stanford University and the RAND Corporation.

We all know chocolate is sweet. The way that it's made—not so much.  From deforestation and climate change to child labor and heavy metal contamination, cocoa farming leaves a lot to be desired.  But what if we could make cocoa powder without having to chop down the rainforest and engage in so many other unsavory practices? That's what California Cultured is working on now. The Davis, California-based startup has raised $16 million to grow cocoa cells inside of bioreactors and has already produced some pretty tasty chocolate from this process, as I can personally attest. This isn't their CEO Alan Perlstein's first shot at growing food inside of bioreactors. As you'll hear in this episode, Alan was part of the team that a quarter century ago grew the world's first-ever cultivated meat (goldfish cells funded by NASA). He went on to found Miraculex—now Oobli—which grows sweet proteins inside of bioreactors. After running the company for six years, he's now embarked on a journey to divorce cocoa production from farming the rainforest, and he shares that story here. Can they compete on cost with farmed cocoa? How long before their cocoa makes its way onto the market? Most importantly, does it taste as good as the chocolate we eat today? These are all questions we bite into—and more—in this conversation! Discussed in this episode Our past episodes with the RAND Corporation and Oobli.  Our World in Data greenhouse gas emission chart showing chocolate similar to beef. Alan endorses starting your company through SOSV. California Cultured signs agreement with Japanese chocolate giant. Cocoa consumption's effect on muscle synthesis.  More about Alan Perlstein Alan Perlstein is a visionary entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the food technology industry. From his early career in one of the first cell-cultured meat labs to founding California Cultured, Alan has consistently pursued sustainable innovations to solve global food production issues. His passion lies in addressing the environmental and ethical challenges of traditional agriculture by using cutting-edge plant cell culture technology to create real chocolate and coffee without the harmful impacts of deforestation, child labor, and toxic chemicals.

Send us a textPlease Support Our Show❤️https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=88DP4YMVETHFQAdvertise with us:https://theliteracyview.com/contact/Join our Facebook Group✅https://www.facebook.com/share/g/msdoTSwSiQvbtUW9/?mibextid=qtnXGeEmail us: FaithandJudy@gmail.comFaith's Book Links-https://a.co/d/5bv8AdEhttps://a.co/d/50d2qWZThe One About…Teachers Need Support to Teach Reading in Grades 3-8: RAND RESEARCH REPORT What's Missing from Teachers' Toolkits to Support Student Reading in Grades 3-8?Findings from the RAND American Teacher Panelhttps://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RRA3300/RRA3358-1/RAND_RRA3358-1.pdf Anna Shapiro is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation with a focus on early childhood education and special education. Her research interests include strengthening early care and education systems, increasing access to high-quality public early learning opportunities, improving the educational experiences of children receiving special education services and children with developmental differences, and evaluations of programs and policies impacting children in PK-20. Rebecca SutherlandAssociate Director of Research at AERDFRebecca Sutherland is an experienced qualitative and quantitative researcher who's built a career working in public education at both the state (Massachusetts) and local district (Denver Public Schools) levels, along with some stints at national ed non-profits that partner directly with districts and schools. As Director of Assessment at Reading Partners from 2014-2017 Rebecca led the measurement of student learning needs and growth.https://aerdf.org/team/rebecca-sutherland/Here are the two assessments that are validated for use with older readers through high school:ROAR (Rapid Online Assessment of Reading): modular administration, free to schools and districtsCapti Assess: explicitly designed to test reading comprehension and foundational skills of students in grades 3-12  Support the showThe Literacy View is an engaging and inclusive platform encouraging respectful discussion and debate about current issues in education.

Over the past year of war in Gaza, several diplomatic and humanitarian organisations, including the UN, have repeatedly accused Israel of breaching rules of military conduct. These breaches have provoked regular condemnation by governments and high-ranking officials worldwide. But amid all the words, what has been missing is concrete action against Israel. If any authority has the power to influence Israel's actions, it is the US – its strongest ally and main source of military aid. The death toll in Gaza has passed 42,400, with thousands more bodies thought to be buried under rubble and tens of thousands dying from indirect causes. In Lebanon, where densely populated neighbourhoods are being hit by air strikes, at least 2,300 have been killed and 1.2 million displaced. Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice determined that it was plausible that Israel may be committing genocide. Investigators and human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have warned the US that it may be complicit in war crimes because of Israel's unlawful use of American weapons. In a rare development this week, a leaked document revealed US officials warning the Israeli government that future weapons shipments could be affected if the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not addressed within 30 days. But with little having changed in the past year, and as Israel appears to defy any limits imposed on it, the question remains: will the US truly enforce any red lines? On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Hala Rharrit, a former US diplomat who resigned in protest against Washington's handling of the war. She also speaks to Mark Schwartz, a defence researcher at the RAND Corporation, to examine the White House's support for Israel. And we hear from Alex Vatanka, the founding director of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute, on the prospects of an Israeli retaliation against Tehran.

In our American quest for a more perfect union, we often mistake unity for sameness. We mistake unity for conformity. But the functional unity of a system—seems to actually require diversity, distinction, and difference.In this episode, Christy Vines (Founder/ CEO, Ideos Institute) reflects on the problem of division today; how we increasingly invest our identity in politics instead of faith or spirituality; humility and privilege; the definition of unity and the assumption of diversity in it; the centrality of empathy; and how to cultivate an empathic wisdom grounded in the life and witness of Christ.The Ideos Institute is currently sponsoring 31 days of Unity leading up to the 2024 election. Visit thereunionproject.us or ideosinstitute.org/31-days-of-unity to learn how to participate.About Christy VinesChristy Vines is the founder, President and CEO of Ideos Institute where she leads the organization's research on the burgeoning field of Empathic Intelligence and its application to the fields of conflict transformation, social cohesion, and social renewal.Prior to founding Ideos Institute, she was the Senior Vice President for Global Initiatives and Strategy at the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) where she served as the managing and coordinating lead for the development of strategic institutional partnerships and global initiatives in support of the IGE mission to encourage flourishing societies and stable states, and promote sustainable religious freedom, human rights and the rule of law globally. During her tenure at IGE she helped expand the organization's Center for Women, Faith & Leadership which supports, equips and convenes religious women peacemakers around the globe.Christy has held senior roles with the RAND Corporation, where she worked with the RAND Centers for Middle East Public Policy, Asia Pacific Public Policy, Global Risk and Security, and the Center for Justice, Infrastructure, and Environment, finally transitioning to interim project manager for the RAND African First Ladies Initiative (now located at the Bush Presidential Center). Christy also held the role of senior fellow at The American Security Project and served as an advisor to the Carter's Center's inaugural Forum on Women, Religion, Violence and Power.Christy is a published writer, speaker, and the executive producer of the 2022 documentary film, "Dialogue Lab: America," a moving take on the current state of division and polarization in the U.S. She has appeared on podcasts like Comment Magazine's “**Whole Person Revolution Podcast”, “**How Do We Fix It” and Bob Goff's “Dream Big Podcast”. She has published numerous articles and op-eds with news outlets and publications, including the **Washington Post, Christianity Today,** and Capital Commentary.Christy received her Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. She attended both Stanford University and the University of CA, Riverside where she received her B.A. in Sociology and Qualitative Analysis. She currently resides in Pasadena, CA.Show NotesHoward Thurman on Unity, Meditations of the Heart (Beacon Press: 1981), 120–121“Plotinus [205–270 CE] wrote, “If we are in unity with the Spirit, we are in unity with each other, and so we are all one.” (Plotinus, Enneads, VI.5.7.)Sign up for 31 Days of Unity https://www.ideosinstitute.org/31-days-of-unity(Re)Union Project and Ideos InstituteChristy Vines's experience with diversity and unity in her family: differences in faith, race, gender, sexuality, and religionHow Christy Vines came to faithThe problem of divisionHow neuroscience illuminates scripture and offers insight into empathic wisdom“There are so many ways to love God.” (David Dark)How we invest our identity in politics instead of religionMoral absolutism vs moral relativismAbdicating our faith identity for a political identityTechnology and relationships“Loving God differently”“In the cosmic Christ, you have all of the space you need for the kind of diversity in unity that you're talking about.”“It's the expectation that in order to work together, we really do have to look exactly the same, that we have to think the same things. That's the only way to collaborate. So until we can get past those of disagreements, there's just no way to work across the aisle. And that is disastrous to the concept of a democracy and the concept of the church.““There's so many ways to be an American. There's so many ways to be human.”Humility and privilege“There is something about desperation and need that brings, that illuminates God's beauty, majesty, and importance in such a powerful way that I think so many of us that are born into plenty will never experience until the other side of heaven.”The definition of unity: grounded in empathy“Unity is about finding ways to be the body of Christ with all of our diversity and difference and saying that with humility, Here is my perspective. Here's how I understand God. Here's how I live out my faith. Here's what that might mean culturally or politically and all of the other ways we express our faith. And to be unified means maybe we can all be moving in the same direction on different paths, coming at it from different directions, but recognizing we're all trying to reach the same goal. And that maybe in that shared experience, And that rubbing against one another is, our pastor used to say, heavenly sandpaper, refining one another. We may never be on the exact same path, But over time, you find that we get closer and closer together as we share our lives with one another and we influence each other from a position of trust and care. And that can only be done when we actually show up recognizing with humility that we can learn and benefit from others.”Empathy and how to build itEmpathic Intelligence Dr. Rosalind Arnold (University of Tasmania)Empathic intelligence (empathic wisdom) is the lived experience of JesusJesus's empathy“Most of the time we take our own understanding of Jesus and try to impose that on somebody without ever knowing their story.”“What is it like to be you?”“Why is this so hard to do?”Jesus and the woman at the wellAsking questions and listeningEmpathy is contagiousVulnerability, openness, and a space of relational trust(Re)Union Project for Churches—Building unity in the church across lines of differencethereunionproject.usideosinstitute.orgProduction NotesThis podcast featured Christy VinesEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Alexa Rollow, Emily Brookfield, Kacie Barrett, and Zoë HalabanA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

In this episode of the ChinaPower Podcast, Dr. Taylor Fravel, Dr. George Gilboy, and Dr. Eric Heginbotham join us to discuss their recent article assessing China's defense budget. They challenge widely cited figures that estimate China's defense spending at $700 billion and provide an apples-to-apples analysis based on purchasing power parity. They assess China's defense spending is around $470 billion, about one-third of the U.S. defense budget, and detail what categories they included and excluded. The conversation explores the analytical shortcomings of current estimates, emphasizing the need for appropriate exchange rates and like-for-like item comparisons between China's and the U.S.'s defense budgets. They also discuss China's military priorities and modernization efforts and key factors that may determine the future trajectory of Chinese defense spending.    Dr. M. Taylor Fravel is the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science and director of the Security Studies Program at MIT, specializing in international security with a focus on China and East Asia. He is the author of Strong Borders, Secure Nation and Active Defense: China's Military Strategy Since 1949, with numerous publications in leading journals like International Security and Foreign Affairs. A Rhodes Scholar and Andrew Carnegie Fellow, he holds degrees from Middlebury, Stanford, LSE, and Oxford. Fravel also serves on the board of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and leads the Maritime Awareness Project.   Dr. George J. Gilboy is a senior fellow at the Center for International Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). George concurrently heads Woodside Energy's Tokyo office. From 2013 to 2018, George was chief economist and vice president of business environment in Perth, leading Woodside's corporate forecasting team. George lived and worked in China from 1994 to 2013 in roles with Woodside, Shell, Cambridge Energy Research, and Tsinghua University. George holds a BA from Boston College and a PhD in political economy from MIT.   Dr. Eric Heginbotham is a principal research scientist at MIT's Center for International Studies and a specialist in Asian security issues. Before joining MIT, he was a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, where he led research projects on China, Japan, and regional security issues and regularly briefed senior military, intelligence, and political leaders. Prior to that he was a senior fellow of Asian Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. After graduating from Swarthmore College, Heginbotham earned his PhD in political science from MIT. He is fluent in Chinese and Japanese and was a captain in the US Army Reserve. 

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 Hoover Institution, Stanford University The Hoover Institution's Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative presents To War or Not to War: Vietnam and the Sigma Wargames on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 2:00PM PT. In 1964, America was slowly marching towards war in Vietnam. But what if that war could have been fought differently or avoided altogether? The Sigma Games, a series of politico-military wargames run by the Pentagon's Joint Staff in the 1960s, sought to understand the unfolding conflict in Southeast Asia. These games, which involved top figures from the Johnson Administration—including National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy, Air Force General Curtis LeMay, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Earle Wheeler—offer a chillingly accurate forecast of the war's potential trajectory.  Choose your character for an immersive experience. See the game unfold through the eyes of pivotal figures such as John McCone, Curtis LeMay, Earle Wheeler, and McGeorge Bundy in this interactive event. This event introduces the games and turns to a panel of historians to explore the Sigma Wargames, their prescient warnings, and why these early insights failed to shape the Johnson Administration's decision-making, ultimately leading to one of America's most costly conflicts.  The conversation, while a look into a key set of games at a historical moment in American foreign policy, says something more broadly at the impact of wargames on US foreign and defense policy as well as how influence is created (and hijacked) within strategic decision making. ​PANELISTS H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.  McMaster holds a PhD in military history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was an assistant professor of history at the US Military Academy. He is author of the bestselling books Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World and Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Lies that Led to Vietnam. In August 2024, McMaster released his most recent book, At War with Ourselves: My Tour of Duty in the Trump White House. His many essays, articles, and book reviews on leadership, history, and the future of warfare have appeared in The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, National Review, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. McMaster is the host of Battlegrounds: Vital Perspectives on Today's Challenges and is a regular on GoodFellows, both produced by the Hoover Institution. He is a Distinguished University Fellow at Arizona State University. Mai Elliott is the author of The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family, a personal and family memoir which was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, and RAND in Southeast Asia: A History of the Vietnam War Era. She served as an advisor to Ken Burns and Lynn Novick for their PBS documentary on “The Vietnam War” and featured in seven of its ten episodes.  She recently contributed a chapter analyzing “The South Vietnamese Home Front” for the soon to be published Cambridge University Press 3-volume work on the Vietnam War.    Mai Elliott was born in Vietnam and grew up in Hanoi and Saigon.  She attended French schools in Vietnam and is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.  (She also writes under the name of Duong Van Mai Elliott).   Mark Moyar is the director of the Center for Military History and Strategy at Hillsdale College, where he also holds the William P. Harris Chair of Military History. During the Trump administration, Dr. Moyar was a political appointee at the U.S. Agency for International Development, serving as the Director of the Office of Civilian–Military Cooperation. Previously, he directed the Project on Military and Diplomatic History at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, and worked as a national security consultant. He has taught at the U.S. Marine Corps University, the Joint Special Operations University, and Texas A&M University. He is author of eight books, of which the most recent is Masters of Corruption: How the Federal Bureaucracy Sabotaged the Trump Presidency. He holds a B.A. summa cum laude from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Cambridge. MODERATOR Jacquelyn Schneider is the Hargrove Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution, the Director of the Hoover Wargaming and Crisis Simulation Initiative, and an affiliate with Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation. Her research focuses on the intersection of technology, national security, and political psychology with a special interest in cybersecurity, autonomous technologies, wargames, and Northeast Asia. She was previously an Assistant Professor at the Naval War College as well as a senior policy advisor to the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Dr. Schneider was a 2020 winner of the Perry World House-Foreign Affairs Emerging Scholars Policy Prize. She is also the recipient of a Minerva grant on autonomy (with co-PIs Michael Horowitz, Julia Macdonald, and Allen Dafoe), a University of Denver grant to study public responses to the use of drones (with Macdonald), and a grant from the Stanton Foundation to study networks, cyber, and nuclear stability through wargames. Dr. Schneider is an active member of the defense policy community with previous positions at the Center for a New American Security and the RAND Corporation. Before beginning her academic career, she spent six years as an Air Force officer in South Korea and Japan and is currently a reservist assigned to US Space Systems Command. She has a BA from Columbia University, MA from Arizona State University, and PhD from George Washington University.

Jerome Glenn is the CEO and co-founder of the Millennium Project, a global consortium of hundreds of experts in 70 nations, hailing from academia, government and private sector. Each year these experts collaborate on forecasting a consensus view of future trends. Jerome shares with The Futurists a summary of insights from this year's 500-page report, The State of the Future. He describes a range of forecasting tools and techniques invented at the Rand Corporation in the 1970s and tells how they were used to generate the trends analyzed in the report. And he shares findings about General Artificial Intelligence, nuclear weapon proliferation, climate change and global temperature, and pandemics.

A survey commissioned by the nonpartisan Elizabeth Dole Foundation and conducted by the RAND Corporation found those caring for military members or veterans are an increasingly large group and stretched increasingly thin. It estimates more than 14 million Americans are caring for a service member and spend $9,000 a year out of pocket for care. Lisa Desjardins discussed more with Bob McDonald. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The U.S. spends more on prescription drugs than any other country—about $2,000 per capita, according to a Rand Corporation study released in 2021. A recent report from the CDC found that more than 9 million Americans don't take their medications as directed due to the cost. In this episode: Why are drug prices so high, and can anything be done about it? Plus, ways you can cut the cost of your prescription meds. About our guests: Lisa Gill is an investigative reporter with Consumer Reports who focuses on health and medicine. Stacie Dusetzina is a professor in the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Much of her research focuses on the economics related to prescription drugs. Additional Consumerpedia podcast episodes on health. More from Consumer Reports How to Beat the Rising Cost of Prescription Drugs Online Pharmacies Can Help You Save Big on Prescription Drugs How to Find the Best Medicare Part D Drug Plan Not a Checkbook member? ⁠Sign up for a free 30-day trial to access all of our unbiased ratings⁠. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/consumerpedia/support

Day 939.Today, we discuss an enormous explosion as Kyiv strikes a Russian military depot, hear about Moscow's hybrid war in the Arctic, and receive an update on the state of the Kursk operation and the munitions race.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Michael Bohnert (Engineer at RAND Corporation). @mbohnert on X.Articles Referenced:'Putin is becoming entangled in his own discredited red lines' (The Atlantic Council)https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putin-is-becoming-entangled-in-his-own-discredited-red-lines/Russia's Espionage War in the Arctic (The New Yorker) - https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/09/16/russias-espionage-war-in-the-arctic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we talk with Samuel Mann about navigating academia as a queer individual/navigating queer research in economics. Sam is an Associate Economist at RAND Corporation. Previously, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at Vanderbilt University in the Department of Economics and LGBT+ Policy Lab. Sam received PhD in Economics from Swansea University in the UK in 2020. Sebastian Tello-Trillo is an Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. Alex Hollingsworth is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Ohio State University. Henry Morris is our main editor. He is a student at the University of Virginia studying computer science and mathematics.  Show notes: In the episode, we mentioned many resources for people interested in learning more about LGBTQ+ opportunities: American Economic Association CSQIEP Queer Economics Mentoring Conference Economics of LGBTQ+ Individuals Virtual Seminar Series LGBTQ Research starter pack by Dario Sansone Sam's current favorite paper: A Review of the Economics of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Recommendations of the Week: Sam recommends checking out Data is Plural Alex recommends rollerblade wheels for your office chair Sebastian recommends a super easy recipe for Pomodoro sauce

What does it take to be truly remarkable? Join us for an inspiring conversation with two visionary leaders, Seth Godin and Simon Sinek, as they unravel the secrets behind standing out in today's noisy world. Learn how principles of empathy and creating impactful content can transform your personal and professional life. Seth, known for his groundbreaking works like "Purple Cow" and "This Is Marketing," and Simon, famous for "Start With Why," offer invaluable insights into innovation and leadership that have shaped their storied careers. Explore the journey of becoming remarkable with real-life experiences that underscore the importance of service and impactful messaging. Simon Sinek shares his transformative moments, illustrating how personal and professional adversities have shaped his mission and led him to discover his "why." Seth Godin emphasizes the significance of making an impact on others' lives by creating something worth talking about. This episode is a testament to how life's greatest challenges can serve as catalysts for profound growth and remarkable success.Key Highlights:- Becoming remarkable in today's world.- Simon shares how he lost his passion for his marketing consultancy and found a new path through pain and difficulty.- Seth discusses his journey of experimentation and adaptation in his personal and professional life.- The worst thing is not having an idea stolen, but not having any ideas at all.- Simon shares his approach to writing books and creating content, focusing on moving forward and not dwelling on past work.- The role of "why" as a foundation for building a house, guiding renovations and changes.- The importance of giving back and serving others in business.- The value of optimism and different perspectives in leadership.About our Guests:Simon Sinek is an unshakeable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together.Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are, and end the day fulfilled by the work they do.A trained ethnographer, Simon is fascinated by the people and organizations that make the greatest and longest-lasting impact. Over the years, he has discovered some remarkable patterns about how they think, act, and communicate, and also the environments in which people operate at their natural best.Simon may be best known for his TED Talk on the concept of WHY, which has been viewed over 60 million times, and his video on millennials in the workplace—which reached 80 million views in its first week and has gone on to be seen hundreds of millions of times.He continues to share inspiration through his bestselling books, including global bestseller Start with WHY and New York Times bestsellers Leaders Eat Last and The Infinite Game, as well as his podcast, A Bit of Optimism. In addition, Simon is the founder of The Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development company, and he publishes other inspiring thinkers and doers through his publishing partnership with Penguin Random House called Optimism Press.His unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership have attracted international attention, and he has met with a broad array of leaders and organizations in nearly every industry. He frequently works with different branches of the US Armed Forces and agencies of the US government, and is an adjunct staff member with the RAND Corporation—one of the most highly regarded think tanks in the world.Simon is also active in the arts and with not-for-profit work, or what he likes to call the for-impact...

Day 906.Today, we take a deep dive into the battlefield tactics being employed in the Kursk operation.Contributors:Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor, Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Assistant Comment Editor). @FrancisDearnley on X.Hamish de-Bretton Gordon (Former Tank Commander and Chemical/Bio Weapons Expert). @HamishDBG on X.Michael Bohnert (Engineer at Rand Corporation). @mbohnert on X.Items referenced:Dom's Defence in Depth Episode on Kursk:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc_TudS0nkoFrancis's article on Kursk:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/08/16/putin-is-crippled-by-the-wests-preemptive-attack-on-russia/ Hamish's article for The Telegraph on Putin's nuclear bluffing:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/08/15/ukraine-kursk-invasion-nuclear-putin-escalation-bluff/Ukraine exports over 64 million tons of cargo through Black Sea corridor in a year (Kyiv Independent)https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-exports-over-64-million-tons-of-cargo-through-black-sea-corridor-in-a-year/Free Telegraph Subscription for Students. Enjoy free access to The Telegraph with your university student email address: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/studentsubSubscribe to The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to a 2023 Rand Corporation study, 88% of romantic partners have searched for adult videos online or fantasized at night about hot, hunky men with bigger, thicker, more luxurious penises. Has your partner lied awake at night wishing that your pork sword was unbelievably massive? Do you find yourself lacking self-confidence because of that frightened little turtle between your legs? If so, we here at Bald Supplements, Inc. have absolutely wonderful news for you. Introducing: Fena Barbitall's AnacondaXXL*, the penile enhancement supplement of the future! For just $99 per day and $187.99 shipping and handling, you can walk this earth with the confidence and power that only a yogurt pistol of extraordinary length and girth can offer. Call 1-700-BIG-MEAT now and become the flesh baguette wrangler that you've always known yourself to be. *side effects may include: erections that last up to 472 hours, a rare infection of the perineum that can only be cured with a topical application of Peruvian viper venom, and constant night terrors involving a 100-foot-tall Bea Arthur stampeding through New York City like a permed T-Rex Get the Rakuten app NOW and join the 17 million members who are already saving when shopping! Cash Back rates change daily, so check out https://Rakuten.com for details. Your Cash Back really adds up! Now is the time to make the switch to the best cat food in the world, Smalls! Head to https://Smalls.com/BALD and use promo code BALD at checkout for 50% off your first order PLUS free shipping! Need a website? Head to https://SquareSpace.com for a free trial, and when you're ready to launch, go to https://www.SquareSpace.com/BALD to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://BetterHelp.com/BALD and get on your way to being your best self! Need to find a great doctor? Go to https://ZocDoc.com/BALD and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today! Follow Fena: @FenaBarbitall Follow Trixie: @TrixieMattel Follow Katya: @Katya_Zamo To watch the podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/TrixieKatyaYT Don't forget to follow the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: http://bit.ly/baldandthebeautifulpodcast If you want to support the show, and get all the episodes ad-free go to: https://thebaldandthebeautiful.supercast.com If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: http://bit.ly/baldandthebeautifulpodcast To check out future Live Podcast Shows, go to: https://trixieandkatya.com To order your copy of our book, "Working Girls", go to: workinggirlsbook.com To check out the Trixie Motel in Palm Springs, CA: https://www.trixiemotel.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Chris Barnes, renowned Michael G. Foster Endowed Professor of Management at the Foster School of Business, University of Washington, returns to the podcast today to continue his discussion with Matt regarding sleep's impact on business productivity. This time around, Dr. Barnes shares research indicating that sleep-deprived leaders exhibit abusive supervision, reducing employee engagement and productivity. Exploring sleep's broader implications on corporate culture and economic performance, he introduces the WNS (Work, Non-Work, Sleep) framework, and advocates for flexible schedules and on-site daycare to support employee well-being. He also goes on to highlight a Rand Corporation study that reveals sleep deprivation costs the U.S. economy $411 billion annually. Please note that Matt is not a medical doctor, and none of the content in this podcast should be considered medical advice in any way, shape, or form, nor prescriptive in any way.Are sleep troubles keeping you up at night? Matt used to be a skeptic about meditation, but 7 years ago, he tried it using a fantastic meditation app called ‘Calm', and it transformed his sleep!  He's also partnered with Calm who have been generous enough to offer his podcast listeners an exclusive 40% discount on their premium subscription! All you have to do is go to calm.com/mattwalker and take advantage of this incredible deal! The good people at InsideTracker are one of the sponsors of this week's episode, and they are generously offering a special 25% off any one of their programs for anyone who uses the above link during the time window of this episode. InsideTracker is a personalized biometric platform that analyzes your blood and your DNA to better understand what's happening inside of you and offers suggestions regarding things that you can do to better try and adjust some of those numbers, optimize them, and, as a result, optimize you.Another sponsor this week is the biochemical electrolyte drink company LMNT, and they are very kindly offering eight free sample packs when you purchase any one of their orders at drinklmnt.com/mattwalker. LMNT is an electrolyte sports drink that I can get behind - it's created from the basis of science, and it has no sugar, no coloring, and no artificial ingredients – all qualities that are so important to maintaining your blood biochemical balance. If you want to give LMNT a try, just head on over to drinklmnt.com/mattwalker and get your eight free samples with your first purchase. Links:Dr. Barnes on X:  @chris24barnes