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

A former director of the White House Situation Room and senior CIA and NSA official says he is horrified by the use of a messaging app by Senior White House and Pentagon officials. 

In this episode of Stats on Stats, hosts Jordyn and Tiffiny sit down with Shanee Rodriguez, a seasoned Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Engineer at Stratus TIS. With nearly 15 years in IT, Shanee shares her journey from the Air Force to working in high-profile government roles, including the White House Situation Room, before transitioning to the private sector.Guest ConnectLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanee-rodriguez-a74252114 Stats on Stats ResourcesLinkTree: https://linktr.ee/statsonstatspodcast Stats on Stats Partners & AffiliatesIntelliCON 2025Website: https://www.intelliguards.com/intellic0n-speakers Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intellic0n-2025-tickets-1002600072807 Use Discount Code for 20% off Tickets: STATSONSTATSPath AIWebsite: https://yourpath.ai Discount Code: Join our Discord community for access!Antisyphon TrainingWebsite: https://www.antisyphontraining.com MAD20 TrainingWebsite: https://mad20.io Discount Code: STATSONSTATS15Ellington Cyber Academy: https://kenneth-ellington.mykajabi.com Discount Code: STATSONSTATSKevtech AcademyWebsite: https://www.kevtechitsupport.com Dream Chaser's Coffee Website: https://dreamchaserscoffee.com Discount code: STATSONSTATSPodcasts We LikeDEM Tech FolksWebsite: https://linktr.ee/developeverymind YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@demtechfolks IntrusionsInDepthWebsite: https://www.intrusionsindepth.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IntrusionsInDepth Elastic DoD ArchitectsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elasticdod -----------------------------------------------------Episode was shot and edited at BlueBox Studio Tampahttps://blueboxdigital.com/bluebox-studio/

Former senior CIA official and situation room Director Larry Pfeiffer goes inside the White House situation room with SpyTalk host Jeff Stein.Follow Larry PfeifferLarry Pfeiffer (@LarryPfeifferDC) / XThe Hayden Center Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter:https://twitter.com/SpyTalkerFollow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:https://twitter.com/isikoff Follow SpyTalk on Twitter:https://twitter.com/talk_spySubscribe to SpyTalk on Substackhttps://www.spytalk.co/Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback.http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=short

NLS  annotation The situation room: the inside story of presidents in crisis DB121216 Authors: Stephanopoulos, George, Dickey, Lisa Reading Time: 10 hours, 10 minutes Read by: Peter Ganim, George Stephanopoulos, Elisabeth Rodgers Subjects: U.S. History, Government and Politics “George Stephanopoulos, former senior advisor to President Clinton and for more than 20 years host of This Week and Good Morning America, recounts never-before-told crises that decided the course of history, from the place 12 presidents made their highest-pressure decisions: the White House Situation Room. No room better defines American power and its role in the world than the White House Situation Room. And yet, none is more shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Created under President Kennedy, the Sit Room has been the epicenter of crisis management for presidents for more than six decades. Time and again, the decisions made within the Sit Room complex affect the lives of every person on this planet. Detailing close calls made and disasters narrowly averted, THE SITUATION ROOM will take readers through dramatic turning points in a dozen presidential administrations, including: –Incredible minute-by-minute transcripts from the Sit Room after both Presidents Kennedy and Reagan were shot –The shocking moment when Henry Kissinger raised the military alert level to DEFCON III while President Nixon was drunk in the White House residence –The extraordinary scene when President Carter asked for help from secret government psychics to rescue American hostages in Iran –A vivid retelling of the harrowing hours during the 9/11 attack –New details from Obama administration officials leading up to the raid on Osama Bin Laden –And a first-ever account of January 6th from the staff inside the Sit Room. THE SITUATION ROOM is the definitive, past-the-security-clearance look at the room where it happened, and the people–the famous and those you’ve never heard of–who have made history within its walls”– Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. New York : Hachette Audio, 2024. Bookshare This book can be found at Bookshare at the following link: https://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/6017442?returnPath=L3NlYXJjaD9tb2R1bGVOYW1lPXB1YmxpYyZrZXl3b3JkPVRoZSUyQnNpdHVhdGlvbiUyQnJvb20

Today on America in the Morning   Hamas Kills Six Hostages There's reaction and condemnation after six Israeli hostages including an Israeli-American held in Gaza were found dead after Hamas terrorists executed them before Israel's military could arrive. Correspondent Jackie Quinn reports the White House is expressing its sadness over the deaths of Israeli hostages, while Senator Tim Kaine, speaking on Fox News Sunday, and Senator Tom Cotton on NBC's Meet The Press discussed what America needs to do bring stability to the Middle East.    Latest On The Campaign Trail Both the Trump and Harris campaigns stepped away from campaigning over the weekend, but that didn't stop the candidates from sounding off on a variety of issues, with the Harris campaign set to back on the trail later today. John Stolnis has more from Washington.     Bus Crash Kills Seven Tragedy on a Mississippi highway after a bus crash kills 7 people and injures more than three dozen others. Correspondent Julie Walker reports.    Texas Officer “Executed” The Dallas Police Department is mourning the loss of an officer investigators say was executed in his patrol car. Correspondent Clayton Neville has the latest.    Judge Considers Moving Kohberger Trial A judge is weighing a venue change after lawyers for the man charged in the deaths of 4 University of Idaho students wants the trial moved.  The details from correspondent Shelley Adler.    Oregon Drug Law Ends Oregon's 2020 drug decriminalization law has been allowed to expire, ending the first-in-the-nation experiment that made possession of small amounts of hard drugs punishable by a ticket and maximum $100 fine.       Take It Or Leave It President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet in the White House Situation Room today along with the U.S. hostage deal negotiating team for what the Washington Post describes as a “take it or leave it offer” for Israel & Hamas after the murder of six hostages, including American citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin.  Correspondent Karen Chammas reports.    Trump Addresses Moms For Liberty Former President Donald Trump engaged in conversation about American culture wars during an annual Moms for Liberty summit in Washington D-C. Correspondent Clayton Neville reports.    Arrest At Trump Rally Pennsylvania authorities say a man will face charges after storming into the press area at a Trump rally. Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports the former president described journalists as the “enemy of the people” moments before the man was wrestled to the ground by police.    Kennedy Must Remain On Ballots Robert F. Kennedy, Junior finds himself in a conundrum to start the week. America in the Morning's Jeff McKay reports the one-time independent presidential candidate cannot remove himself from key state election ballots.     Pitt Campus Attack The FBI is now investigating after two Jewish students were attacked on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh outside the school's largest landmark, the Cathedral of Learning, and that a 52-year-old man was arrested, facing possible hate crime charges. Correspondent Julie Walker reports that students are concerned there was no notice from the school's emergency notification system, audio courtesy of CBS affiliate KDKA-TV Pittsburgh.    Aid In Question A botched college aid process has some students wondering what might have been as they find themselves in application limbo. Correspondent Jennifer King has more.     Oregon Plane Crash Three people are confirmed dead after a small plane crashed into a row of townhouses and sparked a massive fire in Fairview, Oregon.     Latest On Listeria Outbeak A new report finds a processing plant linked to a deadly outbreak broke food safety rules dozens of times. Correspondent Norman Hall reports.     Finally   It was a slow Labor Day holiday weekend at theaters this weekend. Kevin Carr has details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The news hit on the first day of August of the largest prisoner swap between the United States and Russia since the Cold War. It was a deal involving 24 people -  including journalists, political dissidents, suspected spies, among others - and after months of negotiations with other European countries who released Russians in their custody as part of the exchange. KCBS In Depth host Mary Hughes is joined this week by KCBS Radio's Mike DeWald and they are going to delve deeper into what may have been going on behind the scenes to make this prisoner swap happen, what this means for U.S. and Russia relations going forward, and if another trade of this magnitude could happen again. To help with all this, we're speaking with Larry Pfeiffer, former senior director of the White House Situation Room, former chief of staff to Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Michael Hayden and now, director of the Michael Hayden Center for Intelligence, Policy, and International Security.  

Show SummaryOn today's episode, we feature a conversation with John Pray, Brig. Gen., USAF (Ret), CEO of Operation Homefront. Operation Homefront provides relief and recurring family support programs and services throughout the year to help military families overcome short-term difficulties so they don't become long-term hardships About Today's GuestJohn I. Pray, Brig. Gen., USAF (Ret.) has served as Chief Executive Officer of Operation Homefront since 2015. He credits his parents with instilling the importance of service to others and love of country – two core beliefs that have formed the moral compass John has used to guide all the major decisions in his life. John's father, a career Army officer who served during World War II, survived both the Bataan Death March and three and a half years as a POW, and the Korean War, believed his mother was the one who deserved special credit for all she had to deal with his long absences and the many uncertainties that characterize military life. Their example was the driving force behind John's decision to join the United States Air Force. He retired after serving 27 years in a variety of staff and command assignments, to include the Director of the White House Situation Room, to accept the opportunity serve as the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council during the Bush Administration. Once John left the Federal government, he chose to continue serving our military members and their families. First, in a variety of executive capacities at the United Service Organizations (USO) and since May 2015, as the President/CEO with Operation Homefront, another nationally recognized nonprofit. In his current role, he oversees the fulfillment of the organization's vital mission – to help build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. The Operation Homefront family, consisting of 120 staff members, 20 national board members, over 50 regional advisory council members, nearly 4,000 volunteers, scores of corporate and foundation donors and tens of thousands of individual donors, share a common passion to help our military families in their time of need because of all they have done for all of us in our nation's time of need.John holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and master's degrees from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the School of Advanced Airpower Studies, and the Air War College. He has also completed senior executive programs at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Links Mentioned in this Episode Operation Homefront WebsiteProvide FeedbackAs a dedicated member of the audience, we would like to hear from you about the show. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts about the show in this short feedback survey. By doing so, you will be entered to receive a signed copy of one of our host's three books on military and veteran mental health. Episode Partner: Are you an organization that engages with or supports the military affiliated community? Would you like to partner with an engaged and dynamic audience of like-minded professionals? Reach out to Inquire about Partnership Opportunities Contact Us and Join Us on Social Media Email PsychArmorPsychArmor on TwitterPsychArmor on FacebookPsychArmor on YouTubePsychArmor on LinkedInPsychArmor on InstagramTheme MusicOur theme music Don't Kill the Messenger was written and performed by Navy Veteran Jerry Maniscalco, in cooperation with Operation Encore, a non profit committed to supporting singer/songwriter and musicians across the military and Veteran communities.Producer and Host Duane France is a retired Army Noncommissioned Officer, combat veteran, and clinical mental health counselor for service members, veterans, and their families.  You can find more about the work that he is doing at www.veteranmentalhealth.com  

From 2003, Michael K. Bohn, author of "Nerve Center: Inside the White House Situation Room." Bohn led the White House Situation Room during the presidency of Ronald Reagan.

Retired US Navy Admiral Kyle Cozak shares his inspiring journey of resilience and leadership in this episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast. From his upbringing in Las Vegas to his life-altering accident, Admiral Cozak's story is a testament to the power of trust, positive thinking, and determination. He emphasizes the importance of clear communication, trust, and relatability in leadership and how these qualities can empower individuals to make the right decisions. Admiral Cozak's relentless positivity and unwavering belief in finding new opportunities, even in adversity, is truly inspiring. The conversation also delves into the evolution of leadership in the military, with Admiral Cozak highlighting the shift from commanding and telling people what to do to building trust and empowering individuals. Admiral Cozad shares his experiences as the 22nd senior director in the White House Situation Room, where he witnessed the importance of trust and effective decision-making. Admiral Cozak's insights on teaching leadership and cultural change in the military shed light on the challenges of instilling values and perspectives in a diverse group of recruits. Furthermore, Admiral Cozak's journey of overcoming a life-changing injury and determination to find a new purpose is remarkable. His positive mindset, support network, and belief in overcoming obstacles are lessons that can inspire anyone facing challenges in their own lives. Discover the power of the commander's intent and how it can transform decision-making.Uncover the evolution of leadership in the military and the lessons learned from that transformation.Hear the inspiring story of Admiral Kyle Cozad's life-altering accident and his remarkable mindset shift.Learn about the importance of trust and open communication in leadership.Gain insights into teaching leadership and cultural change in the US military.Find out how struggles and determination at the Naval Academy shaped a leader's path.Delve into the experience of serving as the 22nd senior director in the White House Situation Room.Understand the significance of active listening and conversations in developing young leaders.Discover the role of caregivers and a positive outlook in overcoming challenges.Explore the power of relentless positivity and its impact on leadership.Connect with Admiral Kyle CozadRelentless Positivity: A Common Veteran Battling Uncommon Odds at The Naval Aviation Store Admiral Kyle Cozad on LinkedIn Relentless Positivity: A Common Veteran Battling Uncommon Odds on Amazon Partnering Leadership conversations mentionedDavid Marquet, Author of Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders & Leadership Is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say--and What You Don'tConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

As we approach the final lap of the 2024 general election, host Sascha O'Sullivan discovers what life is like for the photographers who trail hot on the heels of Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.She speaks to PA photographer Stefan Rousseau, who talks about the blunders of this campaign, the photos we'll remember long after votes have been cast, and how special advisers try their hardest to frame their boss's image.Former Labour aide Ayesha Hazarika relives the turmoil of Ed Miliband's bacon sandwich moment, splashed across front pages in the 2015 election campaign, and the photographer who took that iconic picture, Jeremy Selwyn, tells Sascha how it looked from the other side of the lens.Freelance photographer Hollie Adams describes what a gift Boris Johnson was to Westminster's snappers, and Sascha finds out if the rumors really are true: did the former PM mess up his hair before facing the cameras?Andy Parsons, the official Downing Street photographer under several PMs, justifies No. 10 keeping a personal snapper on its staff, while Rousseau claims the practice has closed down access to the press. And former U.S. President Barack Obama's personal photographer describes capturing the famous picture of the White House Situation Room as Osama bin Laden was taken out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Stephanopoulos, host of ABC's “This Week,” and co-host of “Good Morning America," speaks with Meghna Chakrabarti live at WBUR's CitySpace about his new book “The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents In Crisis." Plus, what he's learned from interviewing Donald Trump.

Doug sits down with Co-directors Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss to discuss their gripping new film, "War Game". Set against the tense backdrop of January 6, 2025, this real-life political thriller envisions a nationwide insurrection where members of the US military defect to support the losing presidential candidate. Meanwhile, the winning candidate and his advisors—portrayed by an all-star cast of senior officials from the past five administrations—scramble in the White House Situation Room to war-game the crisis. With just six hours to save democracy, the country teeters on the brink of civil war. War Game will premiere on June 20th at 3 PM at the White Heron. For tickets and showtimes, visit https://nantucketfilmfestival.org/.

What really happens in the White House Situation Room? In this episode Rick sits down with George Stephanopoulos to discuss his new book, "The Situation Room: The Inside Story of the Presidents in Crisis." They delve into the history and evolution of the White House Situation Room, from its creation by John F. Kennedy after the Bay of Pigs to its current high-tech incarnation. George shares insights into how different presidents have utilized this critical hub during moments of national crisis, including 9/11, the operation to capture Osama bin Laden, and the January 6th insurrection. George's new book, "The Situation Room: The Inside Story of the Presidents in Crisis", available now. Timestamps: [00:01:26] Origins of the situation room [00:04:00] Managing a crisis [00:12:39] What should I be doing on January 6th? [00:20:22] Inspiration behind the book Follow Resolute Square: Instagram Twitter TikTok Find out more at Resolute Square Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Originally built in just two weeks for $30,000, the White House Situation Room has been the nerve center during some of history's most seismic events, from the assassination of John F. Kennedy, to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, to the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. In his new book, “The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis,” George Stephanopoulos chronicles 60 years of American politics through spotlighting the historic room. George joined David onstage at the Chicago Humanities Festival to talk about his time working in the White House, how failed missions hashed out in the Situation Room informed future presidencies, and the responsibility of the media in covering Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week Donny is joined by his friend, George Stephanopoulos to discuss his new book, "The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis". Stephanopoulos, who is co-anchor on Good Morning America and the host of This Week, sits down for an in depth discussion about the history of one of the most mysterious places in the world, the White House Situation Room. We'd like to thank our sponsor FACTOR. Head to FACTORMEALS.com/donny50 and use code donny50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month. That's code donny50 at FACTORMEALS.com/donny50 to get 50% off your first box plus 20% off your next month while your subscription is active! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 4: 6:05pm- Completely unbiased ABC News journalist George Stephanopoulos told the ladies of The View that if Donald Trump were to win the 2024 election, the White House Situation Room would be “uncontrolled” and pose a threat to American stability. 6:10pm- On HBO's Real Time, host Bill Maher accused The New York Times of being an instrument of the Democrat Party. 6:30pm- Comedian Jerry Seinfeld delivered the commencement address at Duke University's graduation. PLUS, Vice President Kamala Harris drops a hard f-bomb while speaking at the Asian Pacific American Institute's leadership summit. 6:40pm- Erin Perrine—Political Strategist with Axiom Strategies—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to recap Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's massive rally in Wildwood, New Jersey where an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people attended. Can President Joe Biden do anything to slow down Trump's momentum?

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (05/14/2024): 3:05pm- Donald Trump's “hush money” trial continued on Tuesday—with the prosecution's key witness Michael Cohen being questioned by Trump's attorneys. According to Jesse McKinley of The New York Times, during cross examination, Cohen was portrayed as someone seeking revenge and looking to earn money via the sale of t-shirts that said: “Convict 45.” You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/14/nyregion/trump-trial-news-michael-cohen?smid=url-share#95706224-806b-5507-ae9b-e5a422a2b006 3:15pm- In reaction to a stream of negative polling results for President Joe Biden, CNN political commentator Van Jones stated that “the economic prospects for young people are miserable.” 3:35pm- Ben Casselman and Jeanna Smialek of The New York Times write that high interest rates are seriously hurting poorer Americans: “High interest rates haven't crashed the financial system, set off a wave of bankruptcies or caused the recession that many economists feared. But for millions of low and moderate-income families, high rates are taking a toll. More Americans are falling behind on payments on credit card and auto loans, even as many are taking on more debt than ever before.” You can read the full article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/14/business/economy/interest-rates-inequality.html 3:40pm- According to a report from Axios, President Joe Biden and his campaign refuse to believe polling which indicates Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is running ahead of Biden in 5 out of 6 key swing states in the 2024 presidential election. 3:55pm- The beloved Disney character Tinker Bell has become the latest victim of cancel culture. 4:05pm- Rich explains that when it became clear Donald Trump would be the Republican Party's 2024 presidential candidate, President Joe Biden and his administration decided to embrace radical progressive policies—operating under the assumption that election victory would be easily achieved. However, according to new polling from The New York Times, Sienna College, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, Trump now leads President Biden in five of the six key 2024 swing states—Pennsylvania (+3), Arizona (+7), Michigan (+7), Georgia (+10), and Nevada (+12). 4:20pm- Mark Penn—an adviser to former President Bill Clinton and chairman of Harris Poll—says the Biden campaign isn't focused on winning the correct voters. He's attempting to win the radical left, while seemingly forfeiting the moderate/independent vote. Penn explains that the swing voter is worth 2x the value of a progressive voter: “People usually assume that turning out so-called base voters in an election matters most, since swing voters are fewer in number. And it's true that in today's polarized environment, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump have about 40 percent of voters each and nothing will change those people's minds. But in that remaining 20 percent of the electorate, voters have disproportionate power because of their potential to switch. It's simple math: Take a race tied in the run-up 5 to 5. If one voter swings, the tally becomes 6 to 4. Two voters would then need to be turned out just to tie it up, and a third one would be needed to win.” You can read Penn's full editorial here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/05/13/nyregion/trump-trial-michael-cohen 4:50pm- Women are paying thousands of dollars to participate in “rage rituals.” Why? Plus, is spray on “hair in a can” a real thing? Yup! 5:05pm- In her new article for The Washington Examiner, columnist Salena Zito asks did Trump make a 4D chess move with his speech in Wildwood, New Jersey? Zito writes: “In 2016, Clinton won Mahoning County with 49% of the vote, defeating Trump by a hair. For perspective, just four years earlier, then-President Barack Obama crushed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney by a whopping 28 points in the Mahoning Valley, earning 63% of the vote of this mostly white working-class voter base. Those same working-class white voters, on whom Democrats relied to carry the state twice for the first Black president, would soon be called racist, uneducated, and angry just four years later for supporting Trump. Fast-forward to last weekend when Trump, plagued by nonstop reports of his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments, held a rally in Wildwood, New Jersey, and attracted more than 80,000 supporters in a state no Republican presidential candidate has won since then-Vice President George H.W. Bush in 1988.” Will Trump win the 2024 presidential election thanks to his appeal to working class Americans who feel left behind by the Democrat party? You can read her full story here: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/3003815/was-trump-making-4d-chess-move-speech-new-jersey/ 5:30pm- During an Oxford Union debate, Winston Marshall—the former banjoist and lead guitarist for the band Mumford & Sona—argued that “Populism has become a word used synonymously with ‘racist'…with ‘bigot,' with ‘hillbilly'…elites use it to show their contempt for ordinary people.” Throughout the evening, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) interrupted her debate opponent—claiming that populism is a threat to democracy and that the 2016 election had been “hijacked.” 5:40pm- Rich keeps unbuttoning his shirt as part of an effort to grow our YouTube audience…but nobody wants to see that! 6:05pm- Completely unbiased ABC News journalist George Stephanopoulos told the ladies of The View that if Donald Trump were to win the 2024 election, the White House Situation Room would be “uncontrolled” and pose a threat to American stability. 6:10pm- On HBO's Real Time, host Bill Maher accused The New York Times of being an instrument of the Democrat Party. 6:30pm- Comedian Jerry Seinfeld delivered the commencement address at Duke University's graduation. PLUS, Vice President Kamala Harris drops a hard f-bomb while speaking at the Asian Pacific American Institute's leadership summit. 6:40pm- Erin Perrine—Political Strategist with Axiom Strategies—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to recap Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's massive rally in Wildwood, New Jersey where an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people attended. Can President Joe Biden do anything to slow down Trump's momentum?

Three decades after the end of the Cold War, the United States finds itself in a volatile rivalry with the other two great nuclear powers—Xi Jinping's China and Vladimir Putin's Russia—in a world far more complex and dangerous than that of half a century ago. New Cold Wars—the latest from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author David E. Sanger—is a fast-paced account of America's plunge into simultaneous confrontations with two very different adversaries. For years, the United States was confident that the newly democratic Russia and increasingly wealthy China could be lured into a Western-led order that promised prosperity and relative peace—so long as they agreed to Washington's terms. By the time America emerged from the age of terrorism, it was clear that this had been a fantasy. Sanger says now the three powers are engaged in a high stakes struggle for military, economic, political, and technological supremacy, with nations around the world pressured to take sides. Yet all three are discovering that they are maneuvering for influence in a far more turbulent world than they imagined. Based on an array of interviews with top officials from five presidential administrations, U.S. intelligence agencies, foreign governments, and tech companies, Sanger confronts the era's critical questions: Will the mistakes Putin made in his invasion of Ukraine prove his undoing and will he reach for his nuclear arsenal—or will the West's famously short attention span signal Kyiv's doom? Will Xi invade Taiwan? Will both men deepen their partnership to undercut America's dominance? And can a politically dysfunctional America still lead the world? From the battlefields of Ukraine—where trench warfare and cyberwarfare are interwoven—to the Taiwan headquarters where the world's most advanced computer chips are produced and on to tense debates in the White House Situation Room, Sanger will explain America's return to superpower conflict, the choices that lie ahead, and what is at stake for the United States and the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prosecutors in Donald Trump's criminal trial call their first witness: a former National Enquirer publisher who puts the former president at the center of a conspiracy to corrupt the 2016 election. Joe Biden wins a major endorsement from the building trades unions and works to define Trump as an out-of-touch rich guy who only wants to help his rich friends. In Pennsylvania, Connecticut hedge fund manager Dave McCormick officially wins the Republican nomination for Senate and will face Democratic Senator Bob Casey in the fall. Then, George Stephanopoulos talks with Dan about the challenges of covering Trump, his new book about the White House Situation Room.

Mark your calendars for the 2024 Phoenix Live Podcast Tour April 1st-3rd, 2024 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Learn more here: https://www.techtables.com/2024-phoenix-live-podcast-tourBefore we get into this week's podcast, I wanted to give a special shout-out to TechTables podcast sponsors: SentinelOne, Verizon, and SAP.SentinelOne's AI-powered security platform to break down silos and protect this state's entire enterprise with real-time data and control. With seamless updates and overhead reduction securing 15,000+ endpoints across 25 agencies, SentinelOne partners to protect critical assets across states and agencies. Learn how SentinelOne empowers this state to stay secure.Verizon Frontline. The advanced network for first responders on the front lines. It's your mission. It's your Verizon.More than 35,000 agencies rely on Verizon Frontline and its mission-critical solutions. Check out the solutions built for first responders.Overwhelmed by Digital Transformation? Here's How One City Keeps Pace in the Digital Age.Provide residents and city employees with an even better, happier life through digital transformation.Download the Case Study Now--------

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports on White House-Situation Room.

On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. CT: A special grand jury investigating efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election results recommended indictments against a much larger group than prosecutors ultimately charged, including one current and two former U.S. senators. The grand jury report released Friday shows the jurors recommended charges against 39 people, compared to the 18 charged along with ex-President Donald Trump. Those not indicted include Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, former U.S. Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue of Georgia and former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. The IRS is launching an effort to crack down on 1,600 millionaires and 75 large business partnerships that owe hundreds of millions of dollars in past due taxes. Apple released a significant security update for iPhones and iPads Thursday to patch newly discovered security vulnerabilities in the devices' system software. The White House Situation Room — a space of great mystique and even higher secrecy — just got a $50 million facelift. The 5,500-square-foot, highly secure complex of conference rooms and offices in the West Wing has undergone a gut renovation that took a year to complete. A growing number of parents across the U.S. are being criminally charged with murder or manslaughter after their children die from exposure to fentanyl. The arrival of indoor plumbing in an Alaska village is a godsend for residents who can now turn on a tap for their drinking water or start a machine to do their laundry. But most of all, they're grateful to say goodbye to the “honey bucket” — the humble indoor pail that provided relief in homes without plumbing. —The Associated Press About this program Host Terry Lipshetz is a senior producer for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate. Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NOW ON NETFLIX! Starring Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan“Matthew Quirk moves into David Baldacci and John Grisham territory with The Night Agent, a paranoid, pulse-pounding thriller that could not be more prescient. If you're wondering where the best of the next generation of suspense talent is headed, look no further.” — Joseph FinderTo find a Russian mole in the White House, an FBI agent must question everything. . . and trust no one.No one is more surprised than FBI Agent Peter Sutherland when he's tapped to work in the White House Situation Room. When Peter was a boy, his father was suspected of selling secrets to the Russians—a breach that cost him his career, his reputation, and eventually his life. Now Peter's job is monitoring an emergency line for a call that has not—and might never—come.Until tonight.At 1:05 A.M. the phone rings. A terrified young woman named Rose tells Peter that two people have just been murdered and that the killer might still be in the house with her. One of the victims gave her this phone number with urgent instructions: “Tell them OSPREY was right. It's happening...”The call thrusts Peter into the heart of a conspiracy years in the making, involving a Russian mole at the highest levels of the U.S. government. Anyone in the White House could be the traitor. Anyone could be corrupted. To save the nation, Peter must take the rules into his own hands, question everything, and trust no one.The Night Agent marks the return of the classic conspiracy thriller, a Three Days of the Condor for today's chaotic world. With incredible twists and heart-stopping action, this electrifying novel pulls back the curtain on Washington power and confirms Matthew Quirk as a new master of suspense.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/houseofmysteryradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4pm - ABC, CBS Move on From Cocaine Story, NBC Devotes Just 41 Seconds // Biden Spox Says the White House Situation Room, Near Location of Cocaine, Has Not Been Used for Months Due to Renovations // Experts predict Seattle to earn more than $50 million in revenue from MLB All-Star week // The wealthy should give more to charity, say people who stopped donating, according to a new poll // Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier to start U.S.-based league in WNBA offseasonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6pm - ABC, CBS Move on From Cocaine Story, NBC Devotes Just 41 Seconds // Biden Spox Says the White House Situation Room, Near Location of Cocaine, Has Not Been Used for Months Due to Renovations // Experts predict Seattle to earn more than $50 million in revenue from MLB All-Star week // Ice Wars — All Of The Fighting, None Of The Hockey — Set For US Debut In Cheyenne // YouTuber pranked 8-year-old at Target, so locals gave child a shopping spree See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retired US Navy Admiral Kyle Cozak shares his inspiring journey of resilience and leadership in this episode of the Partnering Leadership podcast. From his upbringing in Las Vegas to his life-altering accident, Admiral Cozak's story is a testament to the power of trust, positive thinking, and determination. He emphasizes the importance of clear communication, trust, and relatability in leadership and how these qualities can empower individuals to make the right decisions. Admiral Cozak's relentless positivity and unwavering belief in finding new opportunities, even in adversity, is truly inspiring. The conversation also delves into the evolution of leadership in the military, with Admiral Cozak highlighting the shift from commanding and telling people what to do to building trust and empowering individuals. Admiral Cozad shares his experiences as the 22nd senior director in the White House Situation Room, where he witnessed the importance of trust and effective decision-making. Admiral Cozak's insights on teaching leadership and cultural change in the military shed light on the challenges of instilling values and perspectives in a diverse group of recruits. Furthermore, Admiral Cozak's journey of overcoming a life-changing injury and determination to find a new purpose is remarkable. His positive mindset, support network, and belief in overcoming obstacles are lessons that can inspire anyone facing challenges in their own lives. Some Highlights:Discover the power of the commander's intent and how it can transform decision-making.Uncover the evolution of leadership in the military and the lessons learned from that transformation.Hear the inspiring story of Admiral Kyle Cozad's life-altering accident and his remarkable mindset shift.Learn about the importance of trust and open communication in leadership.Gain insights into teaching leadership and cultural change in the US military.Find out how struggles and determination at the Naval Academy shaped a leader's path.Delve into the experience of serving as the 22nd senior director in the White House Situation Room.Understand the significance of active listening and conversations in developing young leaders.Discover the role of caregivers and a positive outlook in overcoming challenges.Explore the power of relentless positivity and its impact on leadership.Connect with Admiral Kyle CozadRelentless Positivity: A Common Veteran Battling Uncommon Odds at The Naval Aviation Store Admiral Kyle Cozad on LinkedIn Relentless Positivity: A Common Veteran Battling Uncommon Odds on Amazon Partnering Leadership conversations mentionedDavid Marquet, Author of Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders & Leadership Is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say--and What You Don'tConnect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

On the Proceedings Podcast this week, retired Navy Admiral Sandy Winnefeld talks about his new book and shares insights on the real TOPGUN and how decisions are made in the White House Situation Room.

The January 6th Committee investigation is over and four criminal charges against former President Donald Trump have been referred to the Justice Department by the Committee. In this episode, hear a summary of 23 hours of testimony and evidence presented by the Committee which prove that former President Trump went to extraordinary and illegal lengths to remain President, despite losing the 2020 Election. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536. Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! View the shownotes on our website at https://congressionaldish.com/cd266-contriving-january-6th Executive Producer Recommended Sources “PREPARED REMARKS: Sanders Files Amendment on Microchip Legislation to Restrict Blank Check Corporate Welfare.” Jul 19, 2022. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. Background Sources Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD236: January 6: The Capitol Riot CD228: The Second Impeachment Trial of Donald Trump The Final Committee Report “Final Report of the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the Capitol,” [House Report 117-663] 117th Congress Second Session. Dec 22, 2022. U.S. Government Publishing Office. The January 6th Committee “Inside the Jan. 6 Committee.” Robert Draper and Luke Broadwater. Dec 23, 2022. The New York Times Magazine. 2020 Election Litigation “Litigation in the 2020 Election.” Oct 27, 2022. The American Bar Association. “‘Trump Won Two-Thirds of Election Lawsuits Where Merits Considered.'” Daniel Funke. Feb 9, 2021. PolitiFact. January 6th Security Failures “Capitol Attack: The Capitol Police Need Clearer Emergency Procedures and a Comprehensive Security Risk Assessment Process,” [GAO-22-105001] February 2022. U.S. Government Accountability Office. Electors and Vote Certification Process “Who Are Electors And How Do They Get Picked?” Domenico Montanaro. Dec 14, 2020. NPR. “About the Electors.” May 11, 2021. U.S. National Archives. John Eastman “Who is John Eastman, the Trump lawyer at the center of the Jan. 6 investigation?” Deepa Shivaram. Jun 17, 2022. NPR. “About Us.” The Federalist Society. “The Eastman Memo.” Trump and Georgia “The Georgia criminal investigation into Trump and his allies, explained.” Matthew Brown. Nov 22, 2022. The Washington Post. “Here's the full transcript and audio of the call between Trump and Raffensperger.” Amy Gardner and Paulina Firozi. Jan 5, 2021. The Washington Post. AG Bill Barr Interview “In exclusive AP interview, AG Barr says no evidence of widespread election fraud, undermining Trump.” Mike Balsamo. Dec 11, 2020. “Barr tells AP that Justice Dept. hasn't uncovered widespread voting fraud that could have changed 2020 election outcome.” Dec 1, 2020. The Associated Press. Past Electoral Vote Challenges “Post Misleadingly Equates 2016 Democratic Effort to Trump's 2020 ‘Alternate Electors.'” Joseph A. Gambardello. Jun 29, 2022. FactCheck.org. “Democrats challenge Ohio electoral votes.” Ted Barrett. Jan 6, 2005. CNN. Fake Electors “What you need to know about the fake Trump electors.” Amy Sherman. Jan 28, 2022. PolitiFact. “Exclusive: Federal prosecutors looking at 2020 fake elector certifications, deputy attorney general tells CNN.” Evan Perez and Tierney Sneed. Jan 26, 2022. CNN. “American Oversight Obtains Seven Phony Certificates of Pro-Trump Electors.” Mar 2, 2021. American Oversight. Censure of Cheney & Kinzinger “Read the Republican Censure of Cheney and Kinzinger.” Feb 4 2022. The New York Times. Audio Sources 12/19/22 Business Meeting December 19, 2022 House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol 10/13/22 Business Meeting October 13, 2022 House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol Featured speakers: Kayleigh McEnany, Former White House Press Secretary Molly Michael, Former Executive Assistant to the President Pat Cipollone, Former White House Counsel Clips Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Why would Americans assume that our Constitution, and our institutions, and our Republic are invulnerable to another attack? Why would we assume that those institutions will not falter next time? A key lesson of this investigation is this: Our institutions only hold when men and women of good faith make them hold, regardless of the political cost. We have no guarantee that these men and women will be in place next time. Any future president inclined to attempt what Donald Trump did in 2020 has now learned not to install people who could stand in the way. And also please consider this: The rulings of our courts are respected and obeyed, because we as citizens pledged to accept and honor them. Most importantly, our President, who has a constitutional obligation to faithfully execute the laws, swears to accept them. What happens when the President disregards the court's rulings is illegitimate. When he disregards the rule of law, that my fellow citizens, breaks our Republic. January 6 Committee Lawyer: To your knowledge, was the president in that private dining room the whole time that the attack on the Capitol was going on? Or did he ever go to, again only to your knowledge, to the Oval Office, to the White House Situation Room, anywhere else? Kayleigh McEnany: The the best of my recollection, he was always in the dining room. January 6 Committee Lawyer: What did they say, Mr. Meadows or the President, at all during that brief encounter that you were in the dining room? What do you recall? Gen. Keith Kellogg: I think they were really watching the TV. January 6 Committee Lawyer: Do you know whether he was watching TV in the dining room when you talked to him on January sixth? Molly Michael: It's my understanding he was watching television. January 6 Committee Lawyer: When you were in the dining room in these discussions, was the violence of capital visible on the screen on the television? Pat Cipollone: Yes. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): A federal appeals court in Pennsylvania wrote, quote, "charges require specific allegations and proof. We have neither here." A federal judge in Wisconsin wrote, quote, "the court has allowed the former President the chance to make his case and he has lost on the merits." Another judge in Michigan, called the claims quote, "nothing but speculation and conjecture that votes for President Trump were either destroyed, discarded or switched to votes for Vice President Biden." A federal judge in Michigan sanctioned nine attorneys, including Sidney Powell, for making frivolous allegations in an election fraud case, describing the case as a historic and profound abuse of the judicial process. Recently, a group of distinguished Republican election lawyers, former judges and elected officials issued a report confirming the findings of the courts. In their report entitled "Lost, Not Stolen," these prominent Republicans analyzed each election challenge and concluded this: Donald Trump and his supporters failed to present evidence of fraud or inaccurate results significant enough to invalidate the results of the 2020 Presidential Election. On December 11, Trump's allies lost a lawsuit in the US Supreme Court that he regarded as his last chance of success in the courts. Alyssa Farah: I remember maybe a week after the election was called, I popped into the Oval just to like, give the President the headlines and see how he was doing and he was looking at the TV and he said, "Can you believe I lost to this effing guy?" Cassidy Hutchinson: Mark raised it with me on the 18th and so following that conversation we were in the motorcade ride driving back to the White House, and I said, like, "Does the President really think that he lost?" And he said, "A lot of times he'll tell me that he lost, but he wants to keep fighting it and he thinks that there might be enough to overturn the election, but, you know, he pretty much has acknowledged that he, that he's lost. 07/12/22 Select Committee Hearing July 12, 2022 House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol Witnesses: Jason Van Tatenhove, Former Oath Keepers Spokesperson Stephen Ayres, January 6th Defendant Clips Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL): According to White House visitor logs obtained by the Committee, members of Congress present at the White House on December 21 included Congressmen Brian Babin (TX), Andy Biggs (AZ), Matt Gaetz (FL), Louie Gohmert (TX), Paul Gosar (AZ), Andy Harris (MD), Jody Hice (R-GA), Jim Jordan (OD), and Scott Perry (PA). Then Congresswoman-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) was also there. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL): We've asked witnesses what happened during the December 21 meeting and we've learned that part of the discussion centered on the role of the Vice President during the counting of the electoral votes. These members of Congress were discussing what would later be known as the "Eastman Theory," which was being pushed by Attorney John Eastman. 06/28/2022 Select Committee Hearing June 28, 2022 House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol Witnesses: Cassidy Hutchinson, Former Special Assistant to the President and Aide to the Chief of Staff Clips 9:10 Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Today's witness, Ms. Cassidy Hutchinson, is another Republican and another former member of President Trump's White House staff. Certain of us in the House of Representatives recall that Ms. Hutchinson once worked for House Republican whip Steve Scalise, but she is also a familiar face on Capitol Hill because she held a prominent role in the White House Legislative Affairs Office, and later was the principal aide to President Trump's Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows. 10:10 Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): In her role working for the White House Chief of Staff, Miss Hutchinson handled a vast number of sensitive issues. She worked in the West Wing, several steps down the hall from the Oval Office. Miss Hutchinson spoke daily with members of Congress, with high ranking officials in the administration, with senior White House staff, including Mr. Meadows, with White House Counsel lawyers, and with Mr. Tony Ornato, who served as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff. She also worked on a daily basis with members of the Secret Service who were posted in the White House. In short, Miss Hutchinson was in a position to know a great deal about the happenings in the Trump White House. 24:20 Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): On January 3, the Capitol Police issued a special event assessment. In that document, the Capitol Police noted that the Proud Boys and other groups planned to be in Washington DC on January 6, and indicated that quote, "unlike previous post election protests, the targets of the pro-Trump supporters are not necessarily the counter protesters, as they were previously, but rather, Congress itself is the target on the Sixth. 27:45 Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Of course the world now knows that the people who attacked the Capitol on January 6 had many different types of weapons. When a President speaks, the Secret Service typically requires those attending to pass through metal detectors known as magnetometers, or mags for short. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): The Select Committee has learned about reports from outside the magnetometers and has obtained police radio transmissions identifying individuals with firearms, including AR-15s near the Ellipse on the morning of January 6. Let's listen. Police Officer #1: Blue jeans and a blue jean jacket and underneath the blue jacket complaintants both saw the top of an AR 15. Police Officer #2: Any white males brown cowboy boots, they had Glock-style pistols in their waistbands. Police Officer #3: 8736 with the message that subject weapon on his right hip. Police Officer #4: Motor one, make sure PPD knows they have an elevated threat in the tree South side of Constitution Avenue. Look for the "Don't tread on me" flag, American flag facemask cowboy boots, weapon on the right side hip. Police Officer #5: I got three men walking down the street in fatigues and carrying AR-15s. Copy at Fourteenth and Independence. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): We're going to show now an exchange of texts between you and Deputy Chief of Staff Ornato, and these text messages were exchanged while you were at the Ellipse. In one text, you write, "but the crowd looks good from this vantage point, as long as we get the shot. He was f---ing furious." But could you tell us, first of all, who it is in the text who was furious? Cassidy Hutchinson: The he in that text that I was referring to was the President. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): And why was he furious, Miss Hutchinson? Cassidy Hutchinson: He was furious because he wanted the arena that we had on the Ellipse to be maxed out at capacity for all attendees. The advanced team had relayed to him that the mags were free flowing. Everybody who wanted to come in had already come in, but he still was angry about the extra space and wanted more people to come in. Cassidy Hutchinson: And that's what Tony [Ornato] had been trying to relate to him [President Trump] that morning. You know, it's not the issue that we encountered on the campaign. We have enough space. They don't want to come in right now, they have weapons they don't want confiscated by the Secret Service. They're fine on the Mall, they can see you on the Mall and they want to march straight to the Capitol from the Mall. But when we were in the off stage announced tent, I was part of a conversation -- I was in the, I was in the vicinity of a conversation -- where I overheard the President say something to the effect of you know, "I don't think that they have weapons. They're not here to hurt me take the effing mags away. Let my people in, they can march to the Capitol from here. Let the people in, take the effing mags away." Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): On December 1, 2020, Attorney General Barr said in an interview that the Department of Justice had now not found evidence of widespread election fraud, sufficient to change the outcome of the election. Ms. Hutchinson, how did the President react to hearing that news? Cassidy Hutchinson: I left the office and went down to the dining room, and I noticed that the door was propped open in the valet was inside the dining room changing the tablecloth off of the dining room table. The valet had articulated that the President was extremely angry at the Attorney General's AP interview and had thrown his lunch against the wall. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Miss Hutchinson, Attorney General Barr described to the Committee the President's angry reaction when he finally met with President Trump. Let's listen. Former Attorney General Bill Barr: And I said, "Look, I I know that you're dissatisfied with me and I'm glad to offer my resignation" and then he pounded the table very hard. Everyone sort of jumped and he said "Accepted." Reporter: Leader McCarthy, Do you condemn this violence? Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA): I completely condemn the violence in the Capitol. What we're currently watching unfold is un-American. I'm disappointed, I'm sad. This is not what our country should look like. This is not who we are. This is not the First Amendment. This has to stop and this has to stop now. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Did White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows ever indicate that he was interested in receiving a Presidential Pardon related to January 6? Cassidy Hutchinson: Mr. Meadows did seek that pardon. Yes, ma'am. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): While our committee has seen many witnesses, including many Republicans, testify fully and forthrightly, this has not been true of every witness. And we have received evidence of one particular practice that raises significant concern. Our committee commonly asks witnesses connected to Mr. Trump's administration or campaign whether they'd been contacted by any of their former colleagues, or anyone else who attempted to influence or impact their testimony, without identifying any of the individuals involved. Let me show you a couple of samples of answers we received to this question. First, here's how one witness described phone calls from people interested in that witness's testimony. "What they said to me is, as long as I continue to be a team player, they know I'm on the right team, I'm doing the right thing, I'm protecting who I need to protect, you know, I'll continue to stay in good graces in Trump World. And they have reminded me a couple of times that Trump does read transcripts and just keep that in mind as I proceed through my interviews with the committee." Here's another sample in a different context. This is a call received by one of our witnesses. "A person let me know you have your deposition tomorrow. He wants me to let you know that he's thinking about you. He knows you're loyal, and you're going to do the right thing when you go in for your deposition." I think most Americans know that attempting to influence witnesses to testify untruthfully presents very serious concerns. 06/23/22 Select Committee Hearing June 23, 2022 House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol Witnesses: Jeffrey A. Rosen, Former Acting Attorney General Richard Donoghue, Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Steven Engel, Former Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel Eric Herschmann, Former White House Senior Advisor Clips Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS): From the time you took over from Attorney General Barr until January 3, how often did President Trump contact you or the Department to push allegations of election fraud? Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen: So between December 23 and January 3, the president either called me or met with me virtually every day, with one or two exceptions like Christmas Day Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ): Again, I join my colleagues in calling on Attorney General Barr to immediately let us know what he's doing. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ): We're already working on challenging the certified electors. And what about the court? How pathetic are the courts? Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL): January 6, I'm joining with the fighters in the Congress, and we are going to object to electors from states that didn't run clean elections. Democracy is left undefended if we accept the result of a stolen election without fighting with every bit of vigor we can muster. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH): The ultimate date of significance is January 6. This is how the process works. The ultimate arbiter here, the ultimate check and balance, is the United States Congress. And when something is done in an unconstitutional fashion, which happened in several of these states, we have a duty to step forward and have this debate and have this vote on the 6th of January. Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: So both the Acting Attorney General [Rosen] and I tried to explain to the President on this occasion, and on several other occasions that the Justice Department has a very important, very specific, but very limited role in these elections. States run their elections. We are not quality control for the states. We are obviously interested in and have a mission that relates to criminal conduct in relation to federal elections. We also have related civil rights responsibilities. So we do have an important role, but the bottom line was if a state ran their election in such a way that it was defective, that is to the state or Congress to correct. It is not for the Justice Department to step in. And I certainly understood the President, as a layman, not understanding why the Justice Department didn't have at least a civil role to step in and bring suit on behalf of the American people. We tried to explain that to him. The American people do not constitute the client for the United States Justice Department. The one and only client of the United States Justice Department is the United States government. And the United States government does not have standing, as we were repeatedly told by our internal teams. Office of Legal Counsel, led by Steve Engel, as well as the Office of the Solicitor General researched it and gave us thorough clear opinions that we simply did not have standing and we tried to explain that to the President on numerous occasions. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): Let's take a look at another one of your notes. You also noted that Mr. Rosen said to Mr. Trump, quote, "DOJ can't and won't snap its fingers and change the outcome of the election." How did the President respond to that, sir? Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: He responded very quickly and said, essentially, that's not what I'm asking you to do. What I'm just asking you to do is just say it was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican Congressmen. Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: There were isolated instances of fraud. None of them came close to calling into question the outcome of the election in any individual State. January 6 Committee Lawyer: And was representative Gaetz requesting a pardon? Eric Herschmann: Believe so. The general tone was, we may get prosecuted because we were defensive of, you know, the President's positions on these things. A pardon that he was discussing, requesting, was as broad as you could describe, from the beginning of time up until today, for any and all things. He had mentioned Nixon and I said Nixon's pardon was never nearly that broad. January 6 Committee Lawyer: And are you aware of any members of Congress seeking pardons? Cassidy Hutchinson: I guess Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Brooks, I know, both advocated for, there to be a blanket pardon for members involved in that meeting and a handful of other members that weren't at the December 21 meeting as the preemptive pardons. Mr. Gaetz was personally pushing for a pardon and he was doing so since early December. I'm not sure why. Mr. Gaetz had reached out to me to ask if he could have a meeting with Mr. Meadows about receiving a Presidential pardon. January 6 Committee Lawyer: Did they all contact you? Cassidy Hutchinson: Not all of them, but several of them did. January 6 Committee Lawyer: So you'd be mentioned Mr. Gaetz and Mr. Brooks. Cassidy Hutchinson: Mr. Biggs did. Mr. Jordan talks about congressional pardons but he never asked me for one. It was more for an update on whether the White House is going to pardon members of Congress. Mr. Gohmert asked for one as well. Mr. Perry asked for a pardon too, I'm sorry. January 6 Committee Lawyer: Mr. Perry, did he talk to you directly? Cassidy Hutchinson: Yes, he did. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): Mr. Clark was the acting head of the Civil Division and head of Environmental and Natural Resources Division at the Department of Justice. Do either of those divisions have any role whatsoever in investigating election fraud, sir? Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen: No. And and to my awareness, Jeff Clark had had no prior involvement of any kind with regard to the work that the department was doing. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): Is there a policy that governs who can have contact directly with the White House? Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen: Yes. So across many administrations for a long period of time, there's a policy that particularly with regard to criminal investigations restricts at both the White House and the Justice Department and those more sensitive issues to the highest ranks. So for criminal matters, the policy for a long time has been that only the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General from the DOJ side can have conversations about criminal matters with the White House, or the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General can authorize someone for a specific item with their permission. But the idea is to make sure that the top rung of the Justice Department knows about it, and is in the thing to control it and make sure only appropriate things are done. Steven Engel: The purpose of these these policies is to keep these communications as infrequent, and at the highest levels as possible, just to make sure that people who are less careful about it who don't really understand these implications, such as Mr. Clark, don't run afoul of those contact policies. Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen: He acknowledged that shortly before Christmas, he had gone to a meeting in the Oval Office with the President. That, of course, surprised me. And I asked him, How did that happen? And he was defensive, he said it had been unplanned, that he had been talking to someone he referred to as "General Perry," but I believe is Congressman Perry, and that, unbeknownst to him, he was asked to go to a meeting and he didn't know it, but it turned out it was at the Oval -- he found himself at the Oval Office. And he was apologetic for that. And I said, Well, you didn't tell me about it. It wasn't authorized. And you didn't even tell me after the fact. You know, this is not not appropriate. But he was contrite and said it had been inadvertent and it would not happen again and that if anyone asked him to go to such a meeting, he would notify [Former Acting Deputy Attorney General] Rich Donohue and me. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): On the same day Acting Attorney General Rosen told Mr. Clark to stop talking to the White House, Representative Perry was urging Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to elevate Clark within the Department of Justice. You can now see on the screen behind me a series of tasks between representative Perry and Mr. Meadows. They show that Representative Perry requested that Mr. Clark be elevated within the department. Representative Perry tells Mr. Meadows on December 26, that quote, "Mark, just checking in as time continues to count down, 11 days to January 6 and 25 days to inauguration. We've got to get going!" Representative Perry followed up and says quote, "Mark, you should call Jeff. I just got off the phone with him and he explained to me why the principal deputy won't work especially with the FBI. They will view it as not having the authority to enforce what needs to be done." Mr. Meadows responds with "I got it. I think I understand. Let me work on the deputy position." Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Mr. Donohue on December 28, Mr. Clark emailed you and Mr. Rosen a draft letter that he wanted you to sign and send to Georgia State officials. This letter claims that the US Department of Justice's investigations have quote, "identified significant concerns that may have impacted the outcome of the election in multiple States, including the state of Georgia." The letter also said this: quote, "in light of these developments, the Department recommends that the Georgia General Assembly should convene in special session," end quote, and consider approving a new slate of electors. Steven Engel: The States had chosen their electors, the electors had been certified, they'd cast their votes, they had been sent to Washington DC. Neither Georgia nor any of the other States on December 28, or whenever this was, was in a position to change those votes. Essentially, the election had happened. The only thing that hadn't happened was the formal counting of the votes. Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: I had to read both the email and the attached letter twice to make sure I really understood what he was proposing because it was so extreme to me, I had a hard time getting my head around it initially. But I read it and I did understand it for what he intended and I had to sit down and sort of compose what I thought was an appropriate response. In my response, I explained a number of reasons this is not the Department's role to suggest or dictate to State legislatures how they should select their electors. But more importantly, this was not based on fact, that this was actually contrary to the facts, as developed by Department investigations over the last several weeks and months. So I responded to that. And for the Department to insert itself into the political process's way, I think would have had grave consequences for the country. It may very well have spiraled us into a Constitutional crisis. And I wanted to make sure that he understood the gravity of the situation because he didn't seem to really appreciate it. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): President Trump rushed back early from Mar-a-Lago on December 31, and called an emergency meeting with the Department's leadership. Mr. Donohue, during this meeting, did the President tell you that he would remove you and Mr. Rosen because you weren't declaring there was election fraud? Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: Toward the end of the meeting, the President, again was getting very agitated. And he said, "People tell me I should just get rid of both of you. I should just remove you and make a change in the leadership, put Jeff Clark and maybe something will finally get done." Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): Mr. Rosen during a January 2 meeting with Mr. Clark, did you confront him again about his contact with the President? And if so, can you describe that? Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen: We had -- it was a contentious meeting where we were chastising him that he was insubordinate, he was out of line, he had not honored his own representations of what he would do. And he raised again, that he thought that letter should go out. And we were not receptive to that. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): So in that meeting, did Mr. Clark say he would turn down the President's offer if you reversed your position and sign the letter? Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen: Yes. Subsequently, he told me that on the on Sunday the 3rd. He told me that the timeline had moved up, and that the President had offered him the job and that he was accepting it. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): White House Call Logs obtained by the Committee show that by 4:19pm, on January 3, the White House had already begun referring to Mr. Clark as the Acting Attorney General. Let's ask about that, what was your reaction to that? Former Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen: Well, you know, on the one hand, I wasn't going to accept being fired by my subordinate. So I wanted to talk to the President directly. Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: So the four of us knew, but no one else, aside from Jeff Clark of course, knew what was going on until late that Sunday afternoon. We chose to keep a close hold, because we didn't want to create concern or panic in the Justice Department leadership. But at this point, I asked the Acting AG [Rosen], what else can I do to help prepare for this meeting in the Oval Office, and he said, You and Pat [Cipollone] should get the Assistant Attorney Generals on the phone, and it's time to let them know what's going on. Let's find out what they may do if there's a change in leadership, because that will help inform the conversation at the Oval Office. We got most, not all, but most of the AAGs on the phone. We very quickly explained to them what the situation was. [They] essentially said they would leave, they would resign en mass if the President made that change in the department leadership. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): DOJ leadership arrived at the White House. Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: The conversation this point was really about whether the President should remove Jeff Rosen and replace him with Jeff Clark. And everyone in the room, I think, understood that that meant that letter would go out. And at some point, the conversation turned to whether Jeff Clark was even qualified, competent to run the Justice Department, which in my mind, he clearly was not. And it was a heated conversation. I thought it was useful to point out to the President that Jeff Clark simply didn't have the skills, the ability and the experience to run the Department. And so I said, "Mr. President, you're talking about putting a man in that seat who has never tried a criminal case, who's never conducted a criminal investigation, he's telling you that he's going to take charge of the department, 115,000 employees, including the entire FBI, and turn the place on a dime and conduct nationwide criminal investigations that will produce results in a matter of days. It's impossible. It's absurd. It's not going to happen, and it's going to fail. He has never been in front of a trial jury, a grand jury. He's never even been to Chris Wray's office." I said at one point, "if you walked into Chris Wray's office, one, would you know how to get there and, two, if you got there, would he even know who you are? And you really think that the FBI is going to suddenly start following you orders? It's not going to happen. He's not competent." And that's the point at which Mr. Clark tried to defend himself by saying, "Well, I've been involved in very significant civil and environmental litigation. I've argued many appeals and appellate courts and things of that nature." And then I pointed out that, yes, he was an environmental lawyer, and I didn't think that was appropriate background to be running in the United States Justice Department. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): Did anybody in there support Mr. Clark? Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: No one. Along those lines, he [former President Trump] said, "so suppose I do this, suppose I replace him, Jeff Rosen, with him, Jeff Clark, what would you do?" And I said, "Mr. President, I would resign immediately. I'm not working one minute for this guy [Clark], who I just declared was completely incompetent." And so the President immediately turned to to Mr. Engel. Steven Engel: My recollection is that when the President turned to me and said, "Steve, you wouldn't leave, would you?" I said, "Mr. President, I've been with you through four Attorneys General, including two Acting Attorneys General, but I couldn't be part of this." Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: And I said, and we're not the only ones. No one cares if we resign. If Steve and I go, that's fine, it doesn't matter. But I'm telling you what's going to happen. You're gonna lose your entire Department leadership, every single AAG will walk out on you. Your entire Department of leadership will walk out within hours." And I said, "Mr. President, within 24...48...72 hours, you could have hundreds and hundreds of resignations of the leadership of your entire Justice Department because of your actions. What's that going to say about you?" Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: And then the other thing that I said was that, you know, look, all anyone is going to sort of think about when they see this...no one is going to read this letter....all anyone is going to think is that you went through two Attorneys General in two weeks until you found the environmental guy to sign this thing. And so the story is not going to be that the Department of Justice has found massive corruption that would have changed results of the election. It's going to be the disaster of Jeff Clark. I think at that point Pat Cipollone said, "Yeah, this is a murder suicide pact, this letter." Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL): Mr. Cipollone, the White House Counsel, told the Committee that Mr. Engels response had a noticeable impact on the President, that this was a turning point in the conversation. Mr. Donohue, towards the end of this meeting, did the President asked you what was going to happen to Mr. Clark? Former Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue: He did. When we finally got to, I'd say, the last 15 minutes of the meeting, the President's decision was apparent, he announced it. Jeff Clark tried to scrape his way back and asked the President to reconsider. The President double down said "No, I've made my decision. That's it. We're not going to do it." And then he turned to me and said, "so what happens to him now?" Meaning Mr. Clark. He understood that Mr. Clark reported to me. And I didn't initially understand the question. I said, "Mr. President?" and he said, "Are you going to fire him?" And I said, "I don't have the authority to fire him. He's the Senate confirmed Assistant Attorney General." And he said, "Well, who has the authority to fire him?" And I said, "Only you do, sir." And he said, "Well, I'm not going to fire him." I said, "Alright, well, then we should all go back to work." 06/21/22 Select Committee Hearing June 21, 2022 House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol Witnesses: Rusty Bowers, Arizona House Speaker Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State Gabriel Sterling, Georgia Secretary of State Chief Operating Officer Wandrea ArShaye, “Shaye” Moss, former Georgia election worker Ronna Romney McDaniel, RNC Chair Justin Clark, former Trump Campaign lawyer Robert Sinners, former Trump campaign staffer Andrew Hitt, Former Wisconsin Republican Party Chair Laura Cox, Former Michigan Republican Party Chair Josh Roselman, Investigative Counsel for the J6 Committee John Eastman, Former Trump Lawyer Mike Shirkey, Majority Leader of the Michigan Senate Angela McCallum, Trump Campaign caller Rudy Giuliani Clips Josh Roselman: My name is Josh Roselman, I'm an Investigative Counsel for the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol. Beginning in late November 2020. The President and his lawyers started appearing before state legislators, urging them to give their electoral votes to Trump, even though he lost the popular vote. This was a strategy with both practical and legal elements. The Select Committee has obtained an email from just two days after the election, in which a Trump campaign lawyer named Cleata Mitchell asked another Trump lawyer, John Eastman, to write a memo justifying the idea. Eastman prepared a memo attempting to justify this strategy, which was circulated to the Trump White House, Rudy Giuliani's legal team, and state legislators around the country and he appeared before the Georgia State Legislature to advocate for it publicly. John Eastman: You could also do what the Florida Legislature was prepared to do, which is to adopt a slate of electors yourself. And when you add in the mix of the significant statistical anomalies in sworn affidavits and video evidence of outright election fraud, I don't think it's just your authority to do that, but quite frankly, I think you have a duty to do that to protect the integrity of the election here in Georgia. Josh Roselman: But Republican officials in several states released public statements recognizing that President Trump's proposal was unlawful. For instance, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called the proposal unconstitutional, while Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers wrote that the idea would undermine the rule of law. The pressure campaign to get state legislators to go along with this scheme intensified when President Trump invited delegations from Michigan and Pennsylvania to the White House. January 6 Committee Lawyer: Either you or speaker Chatfield, did you make the point to the President, that you were not going to do anything that violated Michigan law? Mike Shirkey: I believe we did. Whether or not it was those exact words or not, I think the words that I would have more likely used is, "we are going to follow the law." Josh Roselman: Nevertheless, the pressure continued. The next day President Trump tweeted quote, "hopefully the Courts and/or Legislatures will have the COURAGE to do what has to be done to maintain the integrity of our Elections, and the United States of America itself. THE WORLD IS WATCHING!!!!" He posted multiple messages on Facebook, listing the contact information for state officials and urging his supporters to contact them to quote "demand a vote on decertification." These efforts also involves targeted outreach to state legislators from President Trump's lawyers and from Trump himself. Angela McCallum: Hi, my name is Angela McCallum, I'm calling from Trump campaign headquarters in Washington DC. You do have the power to reclaim your authority and send us a slate of Electors that will support President Trump and Vice President Pence. Josh Roselman: Another legislator, Pennsylvania House Speaker Brian Cutler, received daily voicemails from Trump's lawyers in the last week of November. Cutler felt that the outreach was inappropriate and asked his lawyers to tell Rudy Giuliani to stop calling, but Giuliani continued to reach out. Rudy Giuliani: I understand that you don't want to talk to me now. I just want to bring some facts to your attention and talk to you as a fellow Republican. Josh Roselman: These ads were another element in the effort. The Trump campaign spent millions of dollars running ads online and on television. Commercial Announcer: The evidence is overwhelming. Call your governor and legislators demand they inspect the machines and hear the evidence. Fake electors scheme Casey Lucier: My name is Casey Lucier. I'm an Investigative Counsel for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol. On November 18, a lawyer working with the Trump campaign named Kenneth Chesebro wrote a memo arguing that the Trump campaign should organize its own electors in the swing states that President Trump had lost. The Select Committee received testimony that those close to President Trump began planning to organize fake electors for Trump in states that Biden won in the weeks after the election. At the President's direct request, the RNC assisted the campaign in coordinating this effort. January 6 Committee Lawyer: What did the President say when he called you? Ronna Romney McDaniel: Essentially, he turned the call over to Mr. Eastman, who then proceeded to talk about the importance of the RNC helping the campaign gather these contingent electors in case any of the legal challenges that were ongoing change the result of any dates, I think more just helping them reach out and assemble them. But the My understanding is the campaign did take the lead, and we just were helping them in that in that role. Casey Lucier: As President Trump and his supporters continued to lose lawsuits, some campaign lawyers became convinced that convening electors in states that Trump lost was no longer appropriate. Justin Clark: I just remember I either replied or called somebody saying, unless we have litigation pending this, like in the states, like, I don't think this is appropriate, or no, this isn't the right thing to do. I'm out. Matt Morgan: At that point, I had Josh Findlay email Mr. Chesebro, politely, to say, "This is your task. You are responsible for the Electoral College issues moving forward". And this was my way of taking that responsibility to zero. Casey Lucier: The Committee learned the White House Counsel's Office also felt the plan was potentially illegal. January 6 Committee Lawyer: And so to be clear, did you hear the White House Counsel's office saying that this plan to have alternate electors meet and cast votes for Donald Trump in states that he had lost was not legally sound? Cassidy Hutchinson: Yes, sir. Casey Lucier: The Select Committee interviewed several of the individual fake electors, as well as Trump campaign staff who helped organize the effort. Robert Sinners: We were just, you know, kind of useful idiots or rubes at that point. You know, a strong part of me really feels that it's just kind of as the road continued, and as that was failure, failure, failure that that got formulated as what do we have on the table? Let's just do it. January 6 Committee Lawyer: And now after what we've told you today about the Select Committee's investigation about the conclusion of the professional lawyers on the campaign staff, Justin Clark, Matt Morgan and Josh Findlay, about their unwillingness to participate in the convening of these electors, how does that contribute to your understanding of these issues? Robert Sinners: I'm angry, I'm angry. Because I think in a sense, you know, no one really cared if people were potentially putting themselves in jeopardy. January 6 Committee Lawyer: Would you have not wanted to participate in this any further, as well? Robert Sinners: I absolutely would not have had I know that the three main lawyers for the campaign that I've spoken to in the past, and were leading up, we're not on board. Yeah. Andrew Hitt: I was told that these would only count if a court ruled in our favor. So that would have been using our electors. Well, it would have been using our electors in ways that we weren't told about and we wouldn't have supported. Casey Lucier: Documents obtained by the Select Committee indicate that instructions were given to the electors in several states that they needed to cast their ballots in complete secrecy. Because the scheme involved fake electors, those participating in certain states had no way to comply with state election laws, like where the electors were supposed to meet. One group of fake electors even considered hiding overnight to ensure that they could access the State Capitol, as required in Michigan. January 6 Committee Lawyer: Did Mr. Norton say who he was working with at all on this effort to have electors meet? Laura Cox: He said he was working with the President's campaign. He told me that the Michigan Republican electors were planning to meet in the Capitol and hide overnight so that they could fulfill the role of casting their vote per law in the Michigan chambers and I told him in no uncertain terms that that was insane and inappropriate. Casey Lucier: In one state, the fake electors even asked for a promise that the campaign would pay their legal fees if they got sued or charged with a crime. Ultimately, fake electors did meet on December 14, 2020 in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Nevada and Wisconsin. At the request of the Trump campaign, the electors from these battleground states signed documents falsely asserting that they were the quote, "duly elected" electors from their state and submitted them to the National Archives and to Vice President Pence in his capacity as President of the Senate. In an email produced to the Select Committee, Dr. Eastman told the Trump campaign representative that it did not matter that the electors had not been approved by a state authority. Quote, "the fact that we have multiple slates of electors demonstrates the uncertainty of either. That should be enough." He urged that Pence "act boldly and be challenged." Documents produced to the Select Committee show that the Trump campaign took steps to ensure that the physical copies of the fake electors' electoral votes from two states were delivered to Washington for January 6. Text messages exchanged between Republican Party officials in Wisconsin show that on January 4, the Trump campaign asked for someone to fly their fake electors' documents to Washington. A staffer for Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson texted a staffer for Vice President Pence just minutes before the beginning of the Joint Session. This staffer stated that Senator Johnson wished to hand deliver to the Vice President the fake electors' votes from Michigan and Wisconsin. The Vice President's aide unambiguously instructed them not to deliver the fake votes to the Vice President. Even though the fake elector slates were transmitted to Congress and the Executive Branch, the Vice President held firm and his position that his role was to count lawfully submitted electoral votes. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS): Brad Raffensperger is the 29th Secretary of State of Georgia, serving in this role since 2019. As an elected official, and a Republican Secretary, Raffensperger is responsible for supervising elections in Georgia and maintaining the state's public records. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS): Speaker Bowers, thank you for being with us today. You're the speaker of the Arizona House and a self-described conservative Republican. You campaigned for President Trump and with him during the 2020 election. Is it fair to say that you wanted Donald Trump to win a second term in office? Please? Rusty Bowers: Yes, sir. Thank you. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS): And is it your understanding that President Biden was the winner of the popular vote in Arizona in 2020? Rusty Bowers: Yes, sir. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Before we begin with the questions that I had prepared for you, I want to ask you about a statement that former President Trump issued, which I received just prior to the hearing. Former President Trump begins by calling you a RINO, Republican in Name Only. He then references a conversation in November 2020, in which he claims that you told him that the election was rigged, and that he had won Arizona. To quote the former President, "during the conversation, he told me the election was rigged and that I won Arizona," unquote. Is that false? Rusty Bowers: Anywhere, anyone, anytime that has said that I said the election was rigged, that would not be true. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): And when the former President, in his statement today, claimed that you told him that he won Arizona, is that also false? Rusty Bowers: That is also false. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Mr. Bowers, I understand that after the election, you received a phone call from President Trump and Rudy Giuliani, in which they discussed the result of the presidential election in Arizona. If you would, tell us about that call. Rusty Bowers: Mr. Giuliani came on first. And niceties...then Mr. Trump, President Trump, then-President Trump came on. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): During the conversation did you ask Mr. Giuliani for proof of these allegations of fraud that he was making? Rusty Bowers: On multiple occasions, yes. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): And when you asked him for evidence of this fraud, what did he say? Rusty Bowers: He said that they did have proof. And I asked him, "Do you have names?" [He said] for example, we have 200,000 illegal immigrants, some large number, five or six thousand, dead people, etc. And I said, "Do you have their names?" Yes. "Will you give them to me?" Yes. The President interrupted and said, "Give the man what he needs Rudy." He said, "I will." And that happened on at least two occasions, that interchange in the conversation. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Did you ever receive from him that evidence either during the call, after the call, or to this day? Rusty Bowers: Never. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): What was the ask during this call? Rusty Bowers: The ones I remember, were first, that we would hold -- that I would allow an official committee at at the Capitol so that they could hear this evidence, and that we could take action thereafter. I said, "to what end? To what end the hearing." He said, well, we have heard by an official high up in the Republican legislature that there is a legal theory or a legal ability in Arizona, that you can remove the the electors of President Biden and replace them. And we would like to have the legitimate opportunity, through the committee, to come to that end and and remove that. And I said that's, that's something that's totally new to me. I've never heard of any such thing. And I would never do anything of such magnitude without deep consultation with qualified attorneys. And I said, I've got some good attorneys, and I'm going to give you their names. But you're asking me to do something against my oath and I will not break my oath. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Did you also receive a call from US Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona on the morning of January 6? Rusty Bowers: I did. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): And what did Mr. Biggs asked you to do? Rusty Bowers: I believe that was the day that the vote was occurring in each state to have certification or to declare the certification of the electors. And he asked if I would sign on both to a letter that had been sent from my State, and/or that I would support the decertification of the electors. And I said I would not. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Speaking Bowers, did the President call you again later in December? Rusty Bowers: He did, sir. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Did you tell the president in that second call that you supported him, that you voted for him, but that you are not going to do anything illegal for him? Rusty Bowers: I did, sir. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Nevertheless, his lawyer John Eastman called you some days later, and what did Dr. Eastman want you to do? Rusty Bowers: That we would, in fact, take a vote to overthrow -- or I shouldn't say overthrow -- that we would decertify the electors, and that we had plenary authority to do so. But I said, "What would you have me do?" And he said, "Just do it and let the court sorted out." And I said, "You're asking me to do something that's never been done in history, the history of the United States. And I'm going to put my state through that without sufficient proof? And that's going to be good enough with me? That I would, I would put us through that, my state that I swore to uphold, both in Constitution and in law? No, sir." Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): I want to look even more deeply at the fake electoral scheme. Every four years, citizens from all over the United States go to the polls to elect the President. Under our Constitution, when we cast our votes for president, we are actually voting to send electors pledged to our preferred candidate to the Electoral College. In December, the electors in each state meet, cast their votes, and send those votes to Washington. There was only one legitimate slate of electors from each state. On the Sixth day of January, Congress meets in a joint session to count those votes, and the winner of the Electoral College vote becomes the president. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS): Secretary Raffensburger, thank you for being here today. You've been a public servant in Georgia since 2015, serving first as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, and then since January 2019, as Georgia Secretary of State as a self described conservative Republican. Is it fair to say that you wanted President Trump to win the 2020 election? Brad Raffensperger: Yes, it is. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Secretary Raffensperger, did Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election in Georgia and by what margin? Brad Raffensperger: President Biden carried the state of Georgia by approximately 12,000 votes. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Bear in mind as we discuss this call today that by this point in time, early January, the election in Georgia had already been certified. But perhaps more important, the President of the United States had already been told repeatedly by his own top Justice Department officials that the claims he was about to make to you about massive fraud in Georgia were completely false. 06/16/22 Select Committee Hearing June 16, 2022 House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol Witnesses: Greg Jacob, Former Counsel to Vice President Mike Pence J. Michael Luttig, Retired judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and informal advisor to Mike Pence Julie Radford, Former Chief of Staff for Ivanka Trump Eric Herschmann, Former White House Senior Advisor Nicholas Luna, Former Assistant to President Trump Gen. Keith Kellogg, Former National Security Advisor to VP Pence Clips 16:45 Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS): Greg Jacob was Counsel to Vice President Pence. He conducted a thorough analysis of the role of the Vice President in the Joint Session of Congress under the Constitution, the Electoral Count Act, and 230 years of historical practice. But he also has firsthand information about the attack on the Capitol because he lived through it. He was with the Vice President and his own life was in danger. 31:05 Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Eastman was, at the time, a law professor at Chapman University Law School. He prepared a memo outlining the nonsensical theory that the Vice President could decide the outcome of the election at the Joint Session of Congress on January 6. 32:50 Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY): Dr. Eastman himself admitted in an email that the fake electors had no legal weight. Referring to the fake electors as, quote "dead on arrival in Congress" end quote, because they did not have a certification from their States. 46:40 Greg Jacob: We had a constitutional crisis in 1876 because in that year, multiple slates of electors were certified by multiple slates [sic]. And when it came time to count those votes, the antecedent question of "which ones?" had to be answered. That required the appointment of an independent commission. That commission had to resolve that question. And the purpose of the Electoral Count Act of 1887 had been to resolve those latent ambiguities. Now I'm in complete agreement with Judge Luttig. It is unambiguous that the Vice President does not have the authority to reject electors. There is no suggestion of any kind that it does. There is no mention of rejecting or objecting to electors anywhere in the 12th amendment. And so the notion that the Vice President could do that certainly is not in the text. But the problem that we had and that John Eastman raised in our discussions was, we had all seen that in Congress in 2000, in 2004, in 2016, there had been objections raised to various states. And those had even been debated in 2004. And so, here you have an Amendment that says nothing about objecting or rejecting. And yet we did have some recent practice of that happening within the terms of the Electoral Count Act. So we started with that. 1:20:45 Greg Jacob: He again tried to say, but I don't think the courts will get involved in this. They'll invoke the political question doctrine and so if the courts stay out of it, that will mean that we'll have the 10 days for the States to weigh in and resolve it. And then, you know, they'll send back the Trump slates of electors, and the people will be able to accept that. I expressed my vociferous disagreement with that point, I did not think that this was a political question. Among other things, if the courts did not step in to resolve this, there was nobody else to resolve it. You would be in a situation where you have a standoff between the President of the United States and, counterfactually, the Vice President of the United States saying that we've exercised authorities that, Constitutionally, we think we have by which we have deemed ourselves the winners of the election. You would have an opposed House and Senate disagreeing with that. You would have State legislatures that, to that point, I mean, Republican leaders across those legislatures had put together, had put out statements, and we collected these for the Vice President as well, that the people had spoken in their States and that they had no intention of reversing the outcome of the election. We did receive some signed letters that Mr. Eastman forwarded us by minorities of leaders in those States, but no State had any legislative house that indicated that added any interest in it. So you would have had just a an unprecedented Constitutional jump ball situation with that standoff. And as I expressed to him, that issue might well then have to be decided in the streets. Because if we can't work it out politically, we've already seen how charged up people are about this election. And so it would be a disastrous situation to be in. So I said, I think the courts will intervene. I do not see a commitment in the Constitution of the question, whether the Vice President has that authority to some other actor to resolve there. There's arguments about whether Congress and the Vice President jointly have a Constitutional commitment to generally decide electoral vote issues. I don't think that they have any authority to object or reject them. I don't see it in the 12th Amendment, but nonetheless. And I concluded by saying, "John, in light of everything that we've discussed, can't we just both agree that this is a terrible idea?" And he couldn't quite bring himself to say yes to that. But he very clearly said, "Well, yeah, I see we're not going to be able to persuade you to do this." And that was how the meeting concluded. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA): We understand that the Vice President started his day on January 4 with a rally in Georgia for the Republican candidates in the US Senate runoff. When the Vice President returned to Washington, he was summoned to meet with the President regarding the upcoming Joint Session of Congress. Mr. Jacob, during that meeting between the President and the Vice President, what theories did Dr. Eastman present regarding the role of the Vice President in counting the electoral votes? Greg Jacob: During the meeting on January 4, Mr. Eastman was opining there were two legally viable arguments as to authorities that the Vice President could exercise two days later on January 6. One of them was that he could reject electoral votes outright. The other was that he could use his capacity as Presiding Officer to suspend the proceedings and declare essentially a 10-day recess during which States that he deemed to be disputed, there was a list of five to seven states, the exact number changed from conversation to conversation, but that the Vice President could sort of issue and demand to the State Legislatures in those States to re-examine the election and declare who had won each of those States. So he said that both of those were legally viable options. He said that he did not recommend, upon questioning, he did not recommend what he called the "more aggressive option," which was reject outright, because he thought that that would be less politically palatable. The imprimatur of State Legislature authority would be necessary to ultimately have public acceptance of an outcome in favor of President Trump. And so he advocated that the preferred course of action would be the procedural route of suspending the Joint Session and sending the election back to the States. And again, the Vice President's first instinct here is so decisive on this question, there's just no way that the framers of the Constitution who divided power and authority, who separated it out, who had broken away from George III, and declared him to be a tyrant, there was no way that they would have put in the hands of one person, the authority to determine who was going to be President of the United States. And then we went to history. We examined every single electoral vote count that had happened in Congress since the beginning of the country. And critically, no Vice President, in 230 years of history, had ever claimed to have that kind of authority, hadn't claimed authority to reject electoral votes, had not claimed authority to return electoral votes back to the States. In the entire history of the United States, not once had a Joint Session, ever returned electoral votes back to the States to be counted. So the history was absolutely decisive. And again, part of my discussion with Mr. Eastman was, if you were right, don't you think Al Gore might have liked to have known in 2000, that he had authority to just declare himself President of the United States? Did you think that the Democrat lawyers just didn't think of this very obvious quirk that he could use to do that? And of course, he acknowledged Al Gore did not and should not have had that authority at that point in time. So at the conclusion of the meeting on the 4th, the President had asked that our office meet with Mr. Eastman the next day to hear more about the positions he had expressed at that meeting, and the Vice President indicated that....offered me up as his counsel, to fulfill that duty. We had an extended discussion an hour and a half to two hours on January 5. What most surprised me about that meeting was that when Mr. Eastman came in, he said, "I'm here to request that you reject the electors." So on the 4th, that had been the path that he had said, "I'm not recommending that you do that." But on the 5th, he came in and expressly requested that. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA): Mr. Jacob did you, Mr. Short, and the Vice President have a call later that day, again, with the President and Dr. Eastman? Greg Jacob: So, yes, we did. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA): And what did Dr. Eastman requested on that call? Greg Jacob: On that phone call, Mr. Eastman stated that he had heard us loud and clear that morning, we were not going to be rejecting electors. But would we be open to considering the other course that we had discussed on the 4th, which would be to suspend the Joint Session and request that State Legislatures reexamine certification of the electoral votes? Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA): Trump issued a statement claiming the Vice President had agreed that he could determine the outcome of the election, despite the fact that the Vice President had consistently rejected that position. Mr. Jacob, how did the Vice President's team reacts to the stat

John Sherman is the Chief Information Officer (DoD CIO) at the U.S. Department of Defense ( https://www.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/2881098/john-sherman/ ), a role he was sworn in on December 17, 2021. In this role he is the principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense for Information Management / Information Technology (IT) and Information Assurance, as well as non-intelligence space systems; critical satellite communications, navigation, and timing programs; spectrum; and telecommunications matters. ( https://dodcio.defense.gov/about-dod-cio/ ) Prior to assuming his duties, Mr. Sherman served as the Acting DoD CIO and Principal Deputy, DoD CIO from June 2020 to September 2021. Before joining the Department, Mr. Sherman served as the Intelligence Community (IC) CIO from 2017-2020. In this position he was involved in driving and coordinating IT modernization among 17 agencies, leading major advancements to the IC's cloud computing, cybersecurity, and interoperability capabilities. He built long-term commitment to these priorities among stakeholders, both in government and industry, and ensured that the IC would remain a leader in each of these areas. Prior to his tour as the IC CIO, Mr. Sherman served from 2014-2017 as the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA's) Open Source Enterprise (OSE), where he helped transform Open Source Intelligence, leveraging new technologies and interagency partnerships to enhance the growing OSE mission. He previously served for seven years in several senior executive positions at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), where he led organizations involved in analysis, collection, homeland security, organizational strategy, and international affairs. Earlier, he served as the Principal Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Military Issues on the National Intelligence Council, and as a White House Situation Room duty officer. Mr. Sherman began his IC career in 1997 as an imagery analyst. Mr. Sherman is a 1992 Distinguished Military Graduate of Texas A&M University where he commanded the Corps of Cadets and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He also earned a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Houston. Following graduation from Texas A&M, he served as an Air Defense Officer in the 24th Infantry Division. He is a graduate of the DoD CAPSTONE course, the “Leading the IC” course, and the CIA Director's Seminar. Mr. Sherman's awards include the Distinguished and Meritorious Presidential Rank, the DIA Director's Award, the CIA Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, the NGA Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, and the Canadian Chief of Defense Intelligence Medallion.

Milo (@milo_edwards) and Phoebe (@prhroy) are flying solo once again to finally get to the bottom of various situations, ranging from "The Situation" to "The White House Situation Room". Apologies for it being late, it has been the last weekend and Milo has been battling (variously) a 9 hour drive and a hangover... Full episode on Patreon for $3+ subscribers here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/71252240 Follow us on twitter @mastersofpod!

One year after the disastrous withdrawal from Kabul, we bring you perspective from former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell. He helped lead the fight against terrorism in the region and around the world for more than a decade, including the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden.  Morell joins Mosheh for a conversation to discuss why he is concerned about al Qaeda's resurgence, how the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has impacted the war on terror, and how the US needs to approach the fight moving forward. He is the only person who was with President Bush on 9/11 AND President Obama on May 2, 2011, when the operation to kill Bin Laden was launched. Morell is currently the host of the Intelligence Matters podcast and a senior national security contributor for CBS News. In this episode, Morell takes us inside the White House Situation Room and tells us what types of questions presidents have asked him during briefings. He also tells me why he is happy he no longer gets classified briefings! It is the second part of a three-episode series looking into some of the biggest challenges and threats facing the US with Morell. Last week (Aug 10, 2022) dealt with China and Taiwan.  Next week's episode (Part 3) will take us inside Vladimir Putin's mindset as the invasion of Ukraine approaches the six month mark.  – Please remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review. – Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022. Follow Mo News on all platforms: Newsletter: https://monews.bulletin.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosheh/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mosheh Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoshehNews Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/moshehnews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One year after the disastrous withdrawal from Kabul, we bring you perspective from former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell. He helped lead the fight against terrorism in the region and around the world for more than a decade, including the operation to kill Osama Bin Laden.  Morell joins Mosheh for a conversation to discuss why he is concerned about al Qaeda's resurgence, how the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has impacted the war on terror, and how the US needs to approach the fight moving forward. He is the only person who was with President Bush on 9/11 AND President Obama on May 2, 2011, when the operation to kill Bin Laden was launched. Morell is currently the host of the Intelligence Matters podcast and a senior national security contributor for CBS News. In this episode, Morell takes us inside the White House Situation Room and tells us what types of questions presidents have asked him during briefings. He also tells me why he is happy he no longer gets classified briefings! It is the second part of a three-episode series looking into some of the biggest challenges and threats facing the US with Morell. Last week (Aug 10, 2022) dealt with China and Taiwan.  Next week's episode (Part 3) will take us inside Vladimir Putin's mindset as the invasion of Ukraine approaches the six month mark.  – Please remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review. – Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022. Follow Mo News on all platforms: Newsletter: https://monews.bulletin.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mosheh/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mosheh Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoshehNews Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/moshehnews

SHOW NOTES: Untangling the Dang Spiderweb of Deceit - say hello to the pig pope An Hour of Howling Winds and Bitter Groans - a polar bear with dry, cracked lips The Suggestion Box - “dump ‘em out” The Rebel's in the Retails (A Guide to Doing a Bad Job at a Bad Job) - we're making the Joey Chestnut origin story My Name Is Tammy Parker - Shoney Bear hospitalized in critical condition The White House Situation Room - it'll cost you $17 a year mister president Giant Robot Fistfight - there's gonna be no pizza party at the end of this shoot Real Bigger Frankenpodcast - it's Randy Quaid's big comeback Shortcuts - disqualified for use of stacking disks

#57: Former Navy SEAL Commanding Officer Mike Hayes joins Chris to discuss leadership principles, strategies for successful communication, building confidence, and the most important lessons that he learned while serving in the Navy SEALs.Mike Hayes (@thisis.mikehayes) is a 20-year veteran of the Navy SEALs, where he last served as Commanding Officer of SEAL Team TWO, overseeing a 2,000 person Special Operations Task Force in southeastern Afghanistan. He is also the former Director of Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council, Chief Digital Transformation Officer at VMWare, and author of Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility, and Meaning. Full show notes at: https://www.allthehacks.com/purpose-meaning-mike-hayes Partner DealsVuori: 20% off the most comfortable performance apparel I've ever wornInside Tracker: 20% off personalized wellness & nutrition plans backed by sciencePoint.me: $1 trial w/ this link (and the code ALLTHEHACKS)Riverside.fm: Sign up here and get 15% off with code CHRIS Selected Links From The EpisodeConnect with Mike Hayes: Instagram | TwitterMike's Book: Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility, and MeaningMike's Sunapee, New Hampshire Restaurant Recommendation: The AnchorageThe US National Medal of Honor Museum: https://mohmuseum.orgPodcasts mentionedAll the Hacks podcast #19: Andy Rachleff Become a Better InvestorAll the Hacks podcast #39: David Marquet The Language and Actions of Great LeadersAll the Hacks podcast #47: Arthur Brooks Finding Happiness, Success and Deep PurposeAll the Hacks podcast #52: Liz Moody Hack Your Health (While Still Enjoying Life)Full Show NotesThree principles to aim for in everything you do [1:50]Why Mike's book: Never Enough is relatable regardless of the life path you choose [4:32]Two lessons Mike learned during a near-death situation in Peru [6:01]Using examples of his time with the Navy Seals; Mike explains how debriefing with questions like “What could I have done better?” leads to success [8:54]The importance of delivering a message in a way that maximizes the probability of growth in a professional environment [11:59]As a former Director of Defense Policy and Strategy, Mike explains the exciting and uniquely high-pressure situations that he has experienced in the White House Situation Room [15:43]Strategies for learning from failure, and the value of being confident AND humble [17:14]Manufacturing discomfort, pushing yourself harder to live in the struggle, and stretching yourself beyond your perceived limitation, to increase confidence [19:49]Cost-benefit analysis: simply following the rules versus pushing beyond toward innovation and entrepreneurship [26:38]Focusing on the outcome and using the most efficient method toward achievement, and the four most important verbs to focus on during a meeting [29:22]Chris and Mike share methods they use to politely refocus a meeting [32:53]Mike's perspective on why asking for help is a sign of strength and why hard, intrusive questions must be asked [38:24]Building a positive ecosystem and network through relationships with others [43:48]Technology and tactics to improve presence and focus during conversations [46:12]Lessons learned from high-stakes situations in Iraq about slowing down, staying calm, and maintaining focus [49:19]How the principles described in Mike's book “Never Enough” change in importance throughout a person's life [51:52]Mike speaks of his mission to do great things for others, the purpose of writing “Never Enough”, and why he is passionate about its success [55:57]Advice about getting as much sleep as possible for optimal performance [58:05]Mike's restaurant recommendation in Sunapee, New Hampshire [59:41]Where to find Mike online and ways to support his missions [1:00:44]  Quotes:“We're only excellent if we know we're never excellent enough.” -Mike Hayes SponsorsInsideTrackerInsideTracker provides a personalized plan to improve your metabolism, reduce stress, improve sleep, and optimize your health for the long haul. It's created by leading scientists in aging, genetics, and biometrics. They analyze your blood, DNA, and fitness tracking data to identify where you're optimized—and where you're not. With Inside Tracker you'll get a daily Action Plan with personalized guidance on the right exercise, nutrition, and supplementation for your body.For a limited time, you can get 20% off at allthehacks.com/insidetracker Riverside.fmRiverside.fm is the best platform to record studio quality podcasts or videos from anywhere in the world. I use it for all my remote interviews and it consistently delivers high quality audio and video, because it records everything locally, which means you get uncompressed audio and video that works even with unstable wifi. After recording, you can use Riverside's editor to make ready to publish videos with a few clicks or easily download separate audio and video tracks and edit until your heart's content.To get 15% off your plan, use code CHRIS at allthehacks.com/riverside VuoriVuori is a new and fresh perspective on performance apparel. Perfect if you are sick and tired of traditional, old workout gear. Everything is designed to work out in, but doesn't look or feel like it. The product is incredibly versatile and can be used for just about any activity like running, training, swimming, yoga; but also great for lounging or weekend errands.To get the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet with 20% off your first purchase (plus free shipping on any US order over $75 and free returns) visit allthehacks.com/vuori Connect with All the HacksAll the Hacks: Newsletter | Website | Facebook | EmailChris Hutchins: Twitter | Instagram | Website | LinkedIn

John Pray's father was a career Army officer who served during WWII where he survived the Bataan Death March and three and a half years as a POW. John's father later reflected on how hard it must have been on his mother during all of his years of service. His example and sentiment were driving forces in John's future. Pray joined the United States Air Force and retired after serving 27 years in a variety of roles including Director of the White House Situation Room. After retirement, Pray didn't stop serving military families. In May 2015, he is the acting President/CEO of Operation Homefront whose mission is to help build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. https://operationhomefront.org Support the podcast by supporting our sponsors at www.hazardground.com/sponsors Shop Amazon! As an Amazon Associate We Earn From Qualifying Purchases...You Know The Deal! (Paid Link) Help grow the show! Spread the word, tell a friend!! Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts! Episode Intro Music: “Prelude” by “Silence & Light” (www.silenceandlightmusic.com) Photo Credit: John Pray

The leader of the violent Islamic State group was killed Thursday, blowing himself up along with members of his family during an overnight raid carried out by U.S. special operations forces in northwestern Syria, President Joe Biden said. The raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the militant group on Oct. 31, 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a U.S. raid in the same area. Biden said al-Qurayshi died as al-Baghdadi did, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as U.S. forces approached. The operation came as IS has been trying for a resurgence, with a series of attacks in the region, including an assault late last month to seize a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 IS detainees, its boldest operation in years. "Thanks to the bravery of our troops this horrible terrorist leader is no more," Biden said. He said al-Qurayshi had been responsible for the prison strike, as well as genocide against the Yazidi people in Iraq in 2014. About 50 U.S. special operations forces landed in helicopters and attacked a house in a rebel-held corner of Syria, clashing for two hours with gunmen, witnesses said. Residents described continuous gunfire and explosions that jolted the town of Atmeh near the Turkish border, an area dotted with camps for internally displaced people from Syria's civil war. Biden said he ordered U.S. forces to "take every precaution available to minimise civilian casualties," the reason they did not conduct an airstrike on the home. First responders reported that 13 people had been killed, including six children and four women.  Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said U.S. forces were able to evacuate 10 people from the building: a man, a woman and four children from the first floor and four children from the second floor. He said when al-Qurayshi detonated the bomb, he also killed his wife and two children. Kirby said that U.S. officials were conducting an assessment to determine whether American action resulted in any civilian deaths. U.S. forces took fingerprints and DNA, which confirmed al-Qurayshi's death, officials said. Biden, along with Vice President Kamala Harris and senior national security aides monitored a live-feed of the operation from the White House Situation Room according to an official. The president was kept abreast of the commandos' long flight out of Syria by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan overnight. The operation marked a military success for the United States at an important time after setbacks elsewhere — including the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal — had led allies and opponents to conclude U.S. power globally was weakening. The house, surrounded by olive trees in fields outside Atmeh, was left with its top floor shattered and blood spattered inside. A journalist on assignment for The Associated Press, and several residents, said they saw body parts scattered near the site. Most residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. "The mission was successful," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a brief statement. "There were no U.S. casualties." Idlib is largely controlled by Turkish-backed fighters but is also an al-Qaida stronghold and home to several of its top operatives. Other militants, including extremists from the rival IS group, have also found refuge in the region. "The first moments were terrifying; no one knew what was happening," said Jamil el-Deddo, a resident of a nearby refugee camp. "We were worried it could be Syrian aircraft, which brought back memories of barrel bombs that used to be dropped on us," he added, referring to crude explosives-filled containers used by President Bashar Assad's forces against opponents during the Syrian conflict.  The top floor of the low house was nearly destroyed, sending white bricks...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marks 20 years since a series of terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people on September 11, 2001. Mark Jacobson, who was serving in the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the western side of the building and Mr. John Sherman, a duty officer in the White House Situation Room, reflect on what the day was like, how public servants stepped up in the aftermath of the attacks and how 9/11 shaped their commitment to public service.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every week day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of almost 800 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous soul. sign up now and join us every Thursday night for a virtual happy hour. Now on to today's show notes Anushay Hossain is a journalist and political analyst whose work is featured on CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and more. Her writings on politics, gender, race, immigration, and being Muslim in America are published on Forbes, CNN, The Daily Beast, and Medium. She is also the host of the Spilling Chai podcast. Anushay is the Washington Correspondent for the Daily Ittefaq where she pens a political column for the iconic Bangladeshi newspaper, providing in-depth analysis on the latest from Capitol Hill. She guest-hosted Al-Jazeera English's (AJE), “The Stream” from 2012-2013 and is a panelist on PBS' feminist news-analysis program, “To The Contrary.” Anushay completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia (UVA) and has a Master's degree from the University of Sussex. A passionate linguist, she studied Italian while living in Rome and is fluent in five languages. Anushay is married and lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two children. She is currently writing a book about the crisis of women's health in America. Mike Hayes has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He has been held at gunpoint and threatened with execution. He's jumped out of a building rigged to explode, helped amputate a teammate's leg, and made countless split-second life-and-death decisions. He's written countless emails to his family, telling them how much he loves them, just in case those were the last words of his they'd ever read. Outside of the SEALs, he's run meetings in the White House Situation Room, negotiated international arms treaties, and developed high-impact corporate strategies. Over his many years of leadership, he has always strived to be better, to contribute more, and to put others first. That's what makes him an effective leader, and it's the quality that he's identified in all of the great leaders he's encountered. That continual striving to lift those around him has filled Mike's life with meaning and purpose, has made him secure in the knowledge that he brings his best to everything he does, and has made him someone others can rely on. In Never Enough, Mike Hayes recounts dramatic stories and offers battle- and boardroom-tested advice that will motivate readers to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential Mike is the former Commanding Officer of SEAL Team TWO, leading a two thousand–person Special Operations Task Force in Southeastern Afghanistan. In addition to a twenty-year career as a SEAL, Mike was a White House Fellow, served two years as Director of Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council, and has worked directly with both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Beyond his military and governmental service, Mike is currently the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at VMware. He joined VMware in October 2020, and leads the company's worldwide business operations and the acceleration of the company's SaaS transition. Previously, he was SVP and Head of Strategic Operations at Cognizant Technology. Mike also served in Chief of Staff and COO roles at Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest and most successful hedge fund. Mike holds an M.A. in Public Policy from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and received his B.A. from Holy Cross College. His military decorations include the Bronze Star for valor in combat in Iraq, a Bronze Star for Afghanistan, and the Defense Superior Service Medal from the White House. Hayes is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the board of directors of Immuta, a data governance company, and of the National Medal of Honor Museum, and a senior advisor to Inherent Group, an impact investment firm. He lives in Westport, Connecticut with his wife and daughter. Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page

America's longest war is ending as it began, with the nation mourning the dead of a terrorist attack and an outraged President vowing to hunt down the culprits in Afghanistan.The bloody coda to a tortured 20 years -- the loss of 13 US troops and more than 60 Afghans in blasts outside Kabul's airport on Thursday -- exemplified the human tragedy and ultimate futility of a conflict that failed in its core purpose: purging Afghan soil of terrorism. In a cruel irony, the latest Americans to die perished in an attack conceived in the very same land as the al Qaeda assault on September 11, 2001, that triggered the war they were trying to leave.The atrocity -- believed to have been carried out by the Islamic State affiliate known as ISIS-K -- rocked the final stages of the frantic US evacuation of as many as 1,000 Americans who may still be in the country, as well as thousands of Afghans who helped US forces and officials and fear Taliban executions if they are left behind.It also shone a harsh light on President Joe Biden's decision-making and the chaotic nature of the US withdrawal that left American troops and civilians so vulnerable, in the confusing, chaotic days after the Taliban seized Kabul.The most alarming realization in the aftermath of the carnage was that there may be more to come before the deadline for the US to leave for good on Tuesday.Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, who heads US Central Command, warned that new threats from ISIS-K, possibly involving rockets or vehicle borne suicide bombs could be imminent. That means that the next four days will be among the most tense and dangerous of the entire war for US troops. And the awful possibility remains that the country's last victim of the first post-9/11 war is yet to die.At a time of national tragedy, nations turn to their leaders. Biden, who spent much of the day in the White House Situation Room, emerged in the late afternoon for a televised speech. Torn between grief and resolve, he vowed vengeance. "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," the President told the terrorists in remarks that mostly seemed aimed at projecting strength to Americans at home."We will respond with force and precision at our time, at the place we choose, and the moment of our choosing," the President said. Biden's withdrawal marks the symbolic reversal of the US arrival in Afghanistan launched after 9/11 and the strategy of putting troops on the ground in foreign states to fight terrorism.But ironically, his pledge of revenge mirrored one made by ex-President George W. Bush days after the world's worst terrorist attacks. "This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others; it will end in a way and at an hour of our choosing," Bush said at a prayer service at Washington National Cathedral. The similarity reflected the truth that American presidents -- for all their nation's power now somewhat drained by an exhausting two decades-long war -- can be singularly challenged by terrorism, an asymmetric threat that cannot defeat the United States but can wound it and threaten to drag it into perpetual conflict.Some things in Biden's speech don't add upBiden's address on Thursday was punctuated by several contradictions.First, his vow to "complete the mission" of extracting from the country all remaining Americans and Afghans who helped US forces appears impossible, given that he is not planning to extend the deadline for withdrawal past Tuesday. His talk of carrying on trying to get America's friends out after US troops leave seemed to confirm he understands the impossibility of wrapping up that mission in four days. But getting Afghans out of the country without having US forces there will be even harder.Secondly, Biden's capacity to strike back hard at ISIS-K is going to be far more difficult without US troops on the ground, or anywhere close to Afghanistan. His promise will be a first real test of what he calls "over the horizon...

During the first impeachment trial of former United States President Donald Trump, National Security Council member Alexander Vindman was a central witness. He listened in on that now-infamous phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy — the one where Trump pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden. Vindman reported his concerns up the chain of command. Then, he found himself testifying before Congress and addressing his father in his opening remarks.Related: Calling Vindman a 'double agent' ahead of testimony is 'reprehensible'"Dad," Vindman began, "I'm sitting here today in the US Capitol, talking to our elected professionals. Talking to our elected professionals is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union, come here to the United States of America, in search of a better life for our family. Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth," he said. Related: Trump's hypocrisy on corruption is just what Putin wantsRetired Army Lt. Col. Vindman's new book is titled: “Here, Right Matters: An American Story."He recently spoke with The World's host Marco Werman about what it's been like since he testified and the profound role that family has played in his professional career choices. Marco Werman: You write in your book that your father did not want you to testify. In fact, it was kind of a point of tension between you two. Why did he not want you to testify and why, ultimately, did you? Alexander Vindman: My family dynamic involves points of tension with our dad, kind of disagreeing with him on politics and certain things of that nature — a common thread between immigrants from failed communist regimes where the pendulum swings them to an unhealthy brand of conservatism. But when he spoke to me about the dangers involved in challenging the president, it was from his decades of experience and a deep understanding of power and how power works and harkening back to his time in the Soviet Union, where the consequences would be much more severe.Family is central to you and your story. So, let's back up to the beginning. You were born in Ukraine in 1975. Your father took you, your two brothers and your grandmother in 1979 to the US. At a certain point, your older brother, Len, joins the US military, as did your brother, Eugene. You also decided to take that path. What drew you to the military?I think, for us, our older brother set the template. We were highly energetic kids, kind of running around with more energy than we knew what to do with. And by watching our older brother starting ROTC and then enlist, we tried to kind of emulate him. And when he was going for runs or climbing ropes and all that kind of stuff, we did the same thing and very quickly settled on going into university and ROTC, some service to repay this country. And, you know, it sounds kind of a little bit hokey, but we did actually think about it in those terms.Fast-forward to 2019. Fiona Hill, Trump's Russia specialist, hires you to serve on the NSC. So, now you're working for the White House. Then, on July 25, 2019, the so-called perfect phone call between Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the former TV comedian who'd just become president of Ukraine. Tell us where you were in the White House at the time and the part you played in that call? It was the White House Situation Room. We were focused on an intercom, listening to a phone call that I was extremely apprehensive about. And as soon as the president came online, not only was it not going to advance US national security interests, but when the president went into his quid pro quo, when he said, "I'd like you to do us a favor, though," he was attacking both US national security and putting us in a position where Ukraine would be more vulnerable, easier for Russia to draw into its orbit, and therefore, Russia would pose a much more potent adversary to the US with Ukraine, and at the same time attacking the US domestically by undermining free and fair elections — the very foundation of how our system works.Taking that lesson from your deployment to Iraq, in 2004, "Be alert to both the absence of normal as well as the presence of the abnormal," did you sense either of those prior to that phone call? How much of that call was a surprise to you? I had a very good idea of what was happening behind the scenes. I was stubborn in thinking that these were maybe folks looking to ingratiate themselves with the president, people looking to do the president's bidding, but without the president's knowledge and forethought. I thought that might have been the case. And of course, once the president had vocalized this, it became abundantly clear to me something that I couldn't kind have just set aside, based on the fact I'm an Army officer, and the commander-in-chief was the one that was failing to live up to his oath to the Constitution and threatening our democracy. I couldn't deny that anymore. And I didn't think the president was above the law. This is a country of laws. And I did what I thought was right, which is reporting him. After you testified in the impeachment hearing, many Trump supporters and certain corners of the media started a smear campaign against you. You were called a traitor. You were even accused of being a Ukrainian spy. How personal did it get it? I mean, for them, there was no kind of limit. What's interesting is that it was the president's press office that generated those attack points. And then, of course, those have been reverberating for the years since. But their personal attacks don't have an impact on me, frankly, I have, in fact, felt a lot of support from my colleagues and peers, Americans that reached out and passed letters of support or emails. And then you have these kind of anonymous tweets or something of that nature that are attacking me. It's easy to kind of separate what really matters — putting it into perspective — the rest of it is background noise.Well, those forces that smeared you after your testimony are still very much alive in the US. And many feel the undermining of American democracy continues after the Trump years. You're in the academic sphere these days. Thinking about all of this, what occurs to you about the way forward to preserving the values that this country represented, like to your father, when he brought you and the rest of your family here back in 1979?You know, it's interesting. There have been probably brief moments where my confidence has wavered, but largely it's remained unshaken. And that's probably because of perspective on where my family has come from. But at the same time, we're missing something that could help bring us together — and that's accountability. That's accountability of public officials that failed to live up to their responsibilities and that's accountability of media personalities that see profit in attacking the United States. Accountability is one of the passages we need to pass through in order to get back to unity and keep this country strong.This interview was edited and condensed for clarity. 

In Episode 242, Ben and Scott sit down with Rima Reyes, Principal Program Manager, Microsoft Teams Engineering, to chat about Microsoft Teams, apps across industry clouds, and how to express customer empathy in engineering to build a vibrant partner ecosystem. Sponsors Sperry Software – Powerful Outlook Add-ins developed to make your email life easy even if you're too busy to manage your inbox ShareGate - ShareGate's industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs Office365AdminPortal.com - Providing admins the knowledge and tools to run Office 365 successfully Intelligink - We focus on the Microsoft Cloud so you can focus on your business Show notes Microsoft Teams apps Microsoft Teams apps - AppSource Microsoft Teams store validation guidelines Guides and tools to design your Microsoft Teams app effectively Publish your app to the Microsoft Teams store Maintain your published Microsoft Teams app Cloud Governance is Now Available as a Microsoft Teams App Microsoft Cloud for Government Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare Microsoft Cloud for Financial Services About our guest Rima Reyes is currently a Principal Program Manager in Microsoft Teams Engineering, being a part of the Teams Platform Ecosystem team with a focus on Partner app dev for Healthcare, Legal & WW Gov. Prior to her start in Teams Engineering in 2018, Rima had spent the first 13 years of her career building solutions in SharePoint while working at Northrop Grumman IT, Hewlett-Packard, and Microsoft Federal Consulting Services. She was also one of the founding members of the Women in SharePoint DC user group and previously worked at the White House Situation Room for 6+ years. Rima currently resides in the Washington, DC area with her Goldendoodle, Levi, and is passionate about using Virtual Reality for both fitness and work productivity. You can find her on LinkedIn and Twitter @rimazima. About the sponsors Every business will eventually have to move to the cloud and adapt to it. That's a fact. ShareGate helps with that. Our industry-leading products help IT professionals worldwide migrate their business to the Office 365 or SharePoint, automate their Office 365 governance, and understand their Azure usage & costs. Visit https://sharegate.com/ to learn more. Sperry Software, Inc focuses primarily on Microsoft Outlook and more recently Microsoft Office 365, where a plethora of tools and plugins that work with email have been developed. These tools can be extended for almost any situation where email is involved, including automating workflows (e.g., automatically save emails as PDF or automatically archive emails that are over 30 days old), modifying potentially bad user behaviors (e.g., alert the user to suspected phishing emails or prompt the user if they are going to inadvertently reply to all), and increased email security (e.g., prompt the user with a customizable warning if they are about to send an email outside the organization). Get started today by visiting www.SperrySoftware.com/CloudIT Intelligink utilizes their skill and passion for the Microsoft cloud to empower their customers with the freedom to focus on their core business. They partner with them to implement and administer their cloud technology deployments and solutions. Visit Intelligink.com for more info.

On this episode, Sam sits down with Lt. Col. (Ret.) Elizabeth Barrs, a former Army intelligence officer who served tours in Desert Storm, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the White House Situation Room. She has taught Veterans Studies at EKU since 2013, and her leadership inside and outside the classroom helped EKU Online spread Veterans Studies across the globe. Liz and Sam compare academic and military institutions. Liz discusses her views on the emerging field of Veterans Studies, her perspective about how our program has grown since its inception, and how her military career influences her teaching. Want to take Professor Barr's class from anywhere in the world through EKU Online? https://ekuonline.eku.edu/veterans-studies-certificate Learn more about the Kentucky Center for Veterans Studies: eku.edu/kcvs   Want to find the other episodes go to www.eku.edu/kcvs/podcast   Want to support the center? Go to go.eku.edu/give-KCVS To subscribe to this podcast put this link in your favorite podcatcher: https://servicetoservice.libsyn.com/rss Send feedback to kcvspodcast@eku.edu or comment bellow Bumbly March by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3463-bumbly-march License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Today we are diving into Never Enough - Living a Life of Excellence, Agility and Meaning by Mike Hayes, former commanding officer of US Navy Seal Team 2. In today's episode we are afforded the incredible opportunity to have Mike join us to help weave some of these concepts into the fabric of the Construction Industry. To the listeners out there…this will be a heavy note taking episode. Mike has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He has been held at gunpoint and threatened with execution. He's jumped out of a building rigged to explode, helped amputate a teammate's leg, and made countless split-second life-and-death decisions. He's written countless emails to his family, telling them how much he loves them, just in case those were the last words of his they'd ever read. Outside of the SEALs, he's run meetings in the White House Situation Room, negotiated international arms treaties, and developed high-impact corporate strategies. Over his many years of leadership, he has always strived to be better, to contribute more, and to put others first. That's what makes him an effective leader, and it's the quality that he's identified in all of the great leaders he's encountered. That continual striving to lift those around him has filled Mike's life with meaning and purpose, has made him secure in the knowledge that he brings his best to everything he does, and has made him someone others can rely on. In Never Enough, Mike recounts dramatic stories and offers battle- and boardroom-tested advice that will motivate readers to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential. Today Mike is the chief digital transformation officer at VMware. Mike joins NEXT Academy Co-Creators Chad Jones and Cody Phillips as they discuss “Never Enough” and pull out leadership lessons that they feel can help contractors create a competitive advantage by utilizing Excellence, Agility and Meaning! This book is #AWESOME

Mike Hayes has a life path that sounds like a movie script. After serving as commander of Navy SEAL Team TWO, he ran meetings in the White House Situation Room and negotiated international arms treaties. Today, he's leading the charge for digital transformation at VMware.  In this episode, Mike talks with Kathleen about the importance of teamwork, values, and how true leaders put others before themselves. His passion for VMware partners and customers is clear, as he shares the insight on how technology solutions aren't things you buy—they're tools to help you gain agility and reach business outcomes. Get ready to be inspired.    About the Guest: Mike Hayes is Chief Digital Transformation Officer at VMware. You can find Mike on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-hayes-733688 or on Twitter at @thisismikehayes To learn more about his book: Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility, and Meaning, recently named to J.P. Morgan's 2021 Summer Reading List, please visit: https://www.vmware.com/radius/mike-hayes-never-enough-book/   About the Host: Kathleen Tandy is Vice President of Global Partner and Alliance Marketing at VMware. You can find Kathleen on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ktandy85/, or on Twitter at @kaktandy. To learn more about VMware's partner programs, please visit:  https://www.vmware.com/partners/partner-executive-edge.html. Subscribe, follow, and review VMware Partnership Perspectives podcast.

On May 1, 2011, U.S. Navy SEALs conducted a raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden. In this episode of DIA Connections, we discuss the Defense Intelligence Agency's support to locate the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks with a former senior intelligence analyst who was part of the Joint Intelligence Task Force for Combating Terrorism. We also hear a chilling behind-the-scenes account of the raid from photographer Pete Souza. Pete tells the story behind the historic image of President Barack Obama and his advisors in the White House Situation Room during the mission.

In this episode of BEYOND THE PAGE, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, human rights activist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author SAMANTHA POWER – interviewed in the lead-up to her pending US Senate confirmation vote to be President Biden’s new administrator of USAID – discusses her distinctly American journey from immigrant to war correspondent to one of America’s leading foreign policy voices. Power transports us from her childhood in Dublin to the streets of war-torn Bosnia to the White House Situation Room and the world of high-stakes diplomacy, offering a compelling and deeply honest look at navigating the halls of power while trying to put one’s ideals into practice. Along the way, she lays bare the searing battles and defining moments of her life, shows how she juggled the demands of a 24/7 national security job with raising two young children, and makes the case for how we each can advance the cause of human dignity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we prepare to bring Season 1 to a close, there's a lot to be grateful for, especially the 22 guests who agreed to join me in conversation about a new way to define what it means to be a man in a world that needs it as much if not more than it ever has. I made a decision with the very first episode to ask each of my guests the same set of five questions at the conclusion of our conversations. I had an eye towards one day publishing a compilation of those responses and that day has finally arrived. Today, the first of two episodes featuring the concluding minutes of each conversation. The 5 questions I ask are these: Whats a book or movie that has changed you? Whats a quality you wish you had more of? Whats a quality you wish you had less of? What advice would you give to your younger self? Whats something you are looking forward to? And, in the order they appear, the voices you will hear belong to: *Dave Canales – Passing Game Coach, Seattle Seahawks *Jarod Middleton – Captain, San Jose Fire Department *Damien Faughnan – CEO Advisor *Joe Richardson – Racial & Economic Justice Practice Group Leader, McCune Wright Arevalo, LLP *Ray Watts – Assoc. VP for Development, Claremont McKenna College *Kevin Nickerson – Chaplain, Los Angeles Rams *Tim Fiala – My summer camp counselor from 1984 (!) *Elliot Powell – Former Director, White House Situation Room (and my daughter's middle school history teacher!) *Dane Anthony – Spiritual Director *Harry Arnett – Municipal Co-Founder and CEO *Frank Shushok – VP for Student Affairs at Virginia Tech *Zach Hoopes – Avid Outdoorsman and Long-distance Hiker ABOUT BECOMING BETTER MEN
 David Berry, a longtime advisor to organizational leaders and the VP of People & Culture at MUNICIPAL, hosts a series of conversations about the promise of a new vision for masculinity in a world that really needs it. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2L3epws Subscribe on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/70MS450BNc3…jQQ7qpieMe1YmSvQ

Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. I have one sponsor which is an awesome nonprofit GiveWell.org/StandUp for more but Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 800 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls. Mike Hayes has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He has been held at gunpoint and threatened with execution. He’s jumped out of a building rigged to explode, helped amputate a teammate’s leg, and made countless split-second life-and-death decisions. He’s written countless emails to his family, telling them how much he loves them, just in case those were the last words of his they’d ever read. Outside of the SEALs, he’s run meetings in the White House Situation Room, negotiated international arms treaties, and developed high-impact corporate strategies. Over his many years of leadership, he has always strived to be better, to contribute more, and to put others first. That’s what makes him an effective leader, and it’s the quality that he’s identified in all of the great leaders he’s encountered. That continual striving to lift those around him has filled Mike’s life with meaning and purpose, has made him secure in the knowledge that he brings his best to everything he does, and has made him someone others can rely on. In Never Enough, Mike Hayes recounts dramatic stories and offers battle- and boardroom-tested advice that will motivate readers to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential. Mike Hayes is the former Commanding Officer of SEAL Team TWO, leading a two thousand–person Special Operations Task Force in Southeastern Afghanistan. In addition to a twenty-year career as a SEAL, Mike was a White House Fellow, served two years as Director of Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council, and has worked directly with both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Beyond his military and governmental service, Mike is currently the Chief Digital Transformation Officer at VMware. He joined VMware in October 2020, and leads the company’s worldwide business operations and the acceleration of the company’s SaaS transition. Previously, he was SVP and Head of Strategic Operations at Cognizant Technology. Mike also served in Chief of Staff and COO roles at Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest and most successful hedge fund. Mike holds an M.A. in Public Policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and received his B.A. from Holy Cross College. His military decorations include the Bronze Star for valor in combat in Iraq, a Bronze Star for Afghanistan, and the Defense Superior Service Medal from the White House. Hayes is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the board of directors of Immuta, a data governance company, and of the National Medal of Honor Museum, and a senior advisor to Inherent Group, an impact investment firm. He lives in Westport, Connecticut with his wife and daughter. Pete on YouTube Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page

ABOUT THE EPISODE: Mike Hayes has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. The former Commander of SEAL Team TWO has made countless split-second life-and-death decisions, run meetings in the White House Situation Room, and developed high-impact corporate strategies. In today's episode, we cover a lot of ground, including:   - Real moments that have defined purpose in his life - Transitioning from the military to government and corporate life - The goal and meaning of his new book Never Enough - And much, much more! Show notes: https://www.teamrwb.org/ep-156-hayes/ 

This week on SOFREP Radio, we're proud to host Mike Hayes, former Navy SEAL and commander of SEAL Team Two. Mike Hayes has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He has been held at gunpoint and threatened with execution. He’s jumped out of a building rigged to explode, helped amputate a teammate’s leg, and made countless split-second life-and-death decisions. He’s written countless emails to his family, telling them how much he loves them, just in case those were the last words of his they’d ever read. Outside of the Navy SEALs, he’s run meetings in the White House Situation Room, negotiated international arms treaties, and developed high-impact corporate strategies. Over his many years of leadership, he has always strived to be better, to contribute more, and to put others first. That’s what makes him an effective leader, and it’s the quality that he’s identified in all of the great leaders he’s encountered. That continual striving to lift those around him has filled Mike’s life with meaning and purpose, has made him secure in the knowledge that he brings his best to everything he does, and has made him someone others can rely on. In his new book, Never Enough, Mike Hayes recounts dramatic stories and offers battle- and boardroom-tested advice that will motivate listeners to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential. You won't want to miss this straight talk with Hayes, exclusive glimpses into the book, and a handful of stories from his time in the Navy SEALs and beyond. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Mike Hayes has lived a lifetime of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. He has been held at gunpoint and threatened with execution. He’s jumped out of a building rigged to explode, helped amputate a teammate’s leg, and made countless split-second life-and-death decisions. Outside of the SEALs, he’s run meetings in the White House Situation Room, negotiated international arms treaties, and developed high- impact corporate strategies. Over his many years of leadership, he has always strived to be better, to contribute more, and to put others first. That’s what makes him an effective leader, and it’s the quality that he’s identified in all of the great leaders he’s encountered. That continual striving to lift those around him has filled Mike’s life with meaning and purpose, has made him secure in the knowledge that he brings his best to everything he does, and has made him someone others can rely on. Mike Hayes recounts dramatic stories and offers battle- and boardroom-tested advice that will motivate readers to do work of value, live lives of purpose, and stretch themselves to reach their highest potential.

In this episode the members of the Slow Road to Better practice their interviewing skills and get their questions answered about President Obama, Benghazi and much more!

Larry Pfeiffer, former CIA Chief of Staff and White House Situation Room Director, worries that President Donald Trump's massive debt will make him a target for espionage after he leaves office. He also is concerned about people around Trump who may find it hard to find jobs after leaving the administration, being targeted as well.

KCBS Radio news anchors Jeff Bell and Megan Goldsby and Political Scientist from Sonoma State University Dr. David McCuan speak with Larry Pfeiffer, he’s former Senior Director of the White House Situation Room and a chief of staff to CIA director Michael Hayden. They discuss the possible challenges President-Elect Biden's transition process.

From 2003 comes this conversation with Michael K. Bohn, who was director of the Situation Room for the George H. W. Bush administration. His book is titled "Nerve Center: Inside the White House Situation Room."

What was the mood in the White House Situation Room during the mission to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden? Mike Leiter was the Director of the National Counter Terrorism Center under 2 administrations and was tasked with the herculean task of filtering through near infinite data to identify and thwart terrorist attacks against the United States and our allies. We discuss the balance of civil liberties vs security, the intelligence community winning the war of ideas, interagency battles, victories and missteps. Great conversation. This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Support this podcast

Gary Klein is a research psychologist famous for pioneering in the field of naturalistic decision-making. He studied how people make life or death decisions under extreme time pressure and uncertainty, especially firefighters, military generals or ICU nurses he has observed on the field. He is the best selling author of « Sources of Power » edited by MIT Press, « Streetlights and Shadows » and most recently « Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights ». He presented a PreMortem method of risk assessment in 1998, summarized in a classic HBR article, he published in 2009 a joint study with Daniel Kahneman « Conditions for intuitive expertise: A failure to disagree » after several years of collaboration, and he was one of the leaders of a team that redesigned the White House Situation Room. « Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect ». Mark Twain During this phone interview with Gary Klein, who likes to debunk false assumptions and limited beliefs to test how strong our foundations are, we address different questions : - With such compounding evidence for decades, why are we in 2020 blinded by the truth that outside a laboratory, cognitive biases are not such a problem or don’t even exist ? - Do decision-makers care about biases ? - What is the impact of the 2020 crisis on our mental view of the world ? - How to differentiate true science filled with doubt, humility and curiosity, and researchers who think there is a definitive truth, and believe they have found it ? - Is there a right way to think ? - How can we improve decision-making performance in organizations facing critical situations, based on human strengths and capabilities ?

In this episode, we have a wide-ranging conversation with Chris MacPherson on cognitive security and how it relates to business and innovation to include comparative examples between corporate marketing and military information operations, as well as algorithmic versus human decision-making. Click here for full show notes & resources Mr. Chris MacPherson has had a diverse career spanning academia, government and the private sector --  holding leadership, technical, and strategic roles focused on developing strategies, teams, capabilities and products to understand and augment decision-making. For example, at the global macro hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, Chris applied data systems to enable transformational change. Prior to Bridgewater, he spent over a decade focusing on technology, defense and national security issues for the US Government, with roles at the National Security Agency, the White House Situation Room, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He currently oversees government programs, marketing, and strategic initiatives at Shift.org, a San Francisco based labor marketplace for veterans. He is also an Adjunct Faculty member at Princeton University's Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education, and he runs Shadestream Innovations, an innovation consulting business. 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, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn. Disclosure: 1) As an Amazon Associate, IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Your job as an engineering leader is to win and increase your capacity to win. In Part 2, Wade Chambers discusses how to measure success for engineering leaders, what great looks like, AND how to increase your team’s performance and improve their potential! You’ll also hear how to get unstuck and move your career forward. "And the more that you can come up with, well, what does it mean to be a great manager? Or what does it mean to be a great leader? Answering those questions for yourself and actually getting to the point where you have confidence and are willing to stand behind it because it's well-reasoned and like it's a principled point of view... will help you improve" - Wade Chambers Wade oversees all aspects of engineering and technology innovation as the CTO & SVP of Engineering at Grand Rounds. With more than 25 years of engineering leadership experience, he has deep technical domain expertise and a successful track record of scaling teams and leaders, market-defining technology innovations, and business growth for companies of all sizes including Twitter, TellApart, Yahoo, and Opsware. Before Silicon Valley, Wade served in the military and the White House Situation Room. SHOWNOTES How to measure success, “win, and increase your capacity to win” (2:32) How to increase the potential of people on your team (8:24) How to get unstuck in your career (12:31) The 3 “buckets” to help identify where your career growth is stuck (16:53) How to maximize learning and growth from the books you read (21:23) How to get to the core principles that drive your behavior (25:52) Wade’s final thoughts on closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be (29:38) Takeaways (31:41) ANNOUNCEMENT Nominations for the 2020 Inspiring Leadership Award are now open! We created this award to recognize role models of engineering leadership, for the work they do every day to make a difference in their teams and organizations. Share their story with us and submit a nomination at: SFELC.COM/SUMMIT2020/AWARD Join our community of software engineering leaders @ https://sfelc.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/engineeringleadership/message

Wade Chambers discusses how to learn anything by applying “conscious growth” and neuroplasticity to your career. You’ll learn how to get unstuck, and move your career forward. Plus Wade also shares stories about his early failures as an engineering manager, and what he wished he knew when he first became a manager. "The more that you can recognize that, ‘Oh, I feel uncomfortable’ and you can just sit with it a minute. As opposed to react to it. There's always a feedback mechanism in that. That willingness to be in the discomfort a little bit longer. You're actually going to learn so much about yourself in that moment. And if you can act on that, that's what unlocks you to move forward." - Wade Chambers Wade oversees all aspects of engineering and technology innovation as the CTO & SVP of Engineering at Grand Rounds. With more than 25 years of engineering leadership experience, he has deep technical domain expertise and a successful track record of scaling teams and leaders, market-defining technology innovations, and business growth for companies of all sizes including Twitter, TellApart, Yahoo, and Opsware. Before Silicon Valley, Wade served in the military and the White House Situation Room. SHOWNOTES How Wade formed the habit of being conscious, thoughtful and digging deeper (4:37) Wade’s early failure as a first-time manager (8:25) Neuroplasticity as the foundation for conscious growth and getting unstuck in your career (15:01) How to learn and become competent in almost anything with conscious growth (23:06) How to align your growth to both impact your company AND move your career forward (28:54) How to predict your company’s needs by applying an anthropological perspective (36:06) Takeaways (41:12) ANNOUNCEMENT Nominations for the 2020 Inspiring Leadership Award are now open! We created this award to recognize role models of engineering leadership, for the work they do every day to make a difference in their teams and organizations. Share their story with us and submit a nomination at: SFELC.COM/SUMMIT2020/AWARD Join our community of software engineering leaders @ https://sfelc.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/engineeringleadership/message

From the author of the classic The Wizards of Armageddon and Pulitzer Prize finalist comes the definitive history of American policy on nuclear war — and Presidents’ actions in nuclear crises — from Truman to Trump. Fred Kaplan takes us into the White House Situation Room, the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s “Tank” in the Pentagon, and the vast chambers of Strategic Command to bring us the untold stories — based on exclusive interviews and previously classified documents — of how America’s presidents and generals have thought about, threatened, broached, and just barely avoided nuclear war from the dawn of the atomic age until today. Kaplan’s historical research and deep reporting will stand as the permanent record of politics. Discussing theories that have dominated nightmare scenarios from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Kaplan presents the unthinkable in terms of mass destruction and demonstrates how the nuclear war reality will not go away, regardless of the dire consequences. Shermer and Kaplan also discuss: Dr. Strangelove The Doomsday Machine Mutual Assured Destruction game theory and the logic of deterrence proliferation, non-proliferation, and the evolution of nuclear weapons and strategy North Korea and why Kim Jong Un is not a madman President Trump and how he has reminded us that The Bomb is here to stay Israel and Iran Reagan and Gorbachev how conventional wars can escalate to nuclear war…but haven’t…yet, and why we will never get to Nuclear Zero. Fred Kaplan is the national-security columnist for Slate and the author of five previous books, Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War, The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War (a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestseller), 1959: The Year Everything Changed, Daydream Believers, and The Wizards of Armageddon. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Brooke Gladstone. Listen to Science Salon via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn.

Welcome to a special edition of the School of Thought Podcast! This is our first ever edition of School of Thought Goes To The Movies, where we use our favorite movies to explore the world of education. Today we’re talking about Twelve O’Clock High, a WWII movie made in 1949 that explores the difficulties of leadership. It stars Gregory Peck and won two Academy Awards. This movie has been shown to soldiers and sailors in officer training school to develop them for the challenges of leadership.  We’ll discuss the ways in which leaders can get too close to the people they lead, how to turn around a place with a toxic culture, and how these leadership lessons apply to the classroom. Our guest today is Elliott Powell, who was a guest on School of Thought Episode 20. He is a retired U.S. Navy Captain who served in the Navy for 26 years. He commanded four ships during his tenure there, including the command of a minesweeper during Operation Desert Storm, with which he destroyed or cleared 16 mines. After his naval career he became the director of the White House Situation Room and served under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in that capacity. Powell now serves as an 8th Grade U.S. History teacher in Southern California. He was named teacher of the year at his middle school in 2018.   Episode Links Learn more about Twelve O’Clock High: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041996/ Twelve O’Clock High Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGEekUoEQUM Episode 20 with Elliott Powell: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-20-elliott-powell-jr/id1325922902?i=1000420738286 Episode 20 Shortcuts with Elliott Powell:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-20-shortcuts-elliott-powell-jr/id1325922902?i=1000420739610   We would love to connect with you! Please email us at schoolofthoughtpodcast@gmail.com to tell us who you are, what you think about the show, and who we should talk to next.   Connect with us and the rest of our tribe by searching for School of Thought Podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  

For weeks the nation has been preoccupied with a phone call President Donald Trump made to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. What was said has resulted in an impeachment inquiry against Trump. Also at issue is the transcript of the call and who had access to it. In this episode, we examine how a presidential call is set up, monitored, and, most of all, documented. You may be surprised about what we found.

It's Friday, so that means it's panel time.US President Donald Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly included a “promise” that was regarded as so troubling that it prompted an official in the US intelligence community to file a formal whistleblower complaint with Inspector General for the intelligence Community Michael Atkinson. The IG investigated the complaint, determined that it meets the definition of an "urgent concern," which could include a violation of the law or an executive order, and found the complaint "credible." Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire went before the House Intelligence Committee Thursday morning to discuss his role in holding back the whistleblower report from Congress. Is this really as serious of a problem as the mainstream media outlets are making it out to be?"In the days following the phone call, I learned from multiple US officials that senior White House officials had intervened to 'lockdown' all records of the phone call, especially the official word-for-word transcript of the call that was produced — as is customary — by the White House Situation Room. This set of actions underscored to me that White House officials understood the gravity of what had transpired in the call," reads the whistleblower's complaint, which was released Thursday. The complaint adds that "the transcript was loaded into a separate electronic system that is otherwise used to store and handle classified information of an, especially sensitive nature. One White House official described this act as an abuse of this electronic system because the call did not contain anything remotely sensitive from a national security perspective."A Thursday New York Times article on the whistleblower at the center of the impeachment inquiry into Trump has caused many to be concerned for the person's safety. In the article, the Times calls the whistleblower a CIA officer who worked at the White House and has experience with Ukraine. Dean Baquet, the Times' executive editor, responded to the concerns in a discussion with the paper's Reader Center, saying: "The president and some of his supporters have attacked the credibility of the whistleblower, who has presented information that has touched off a landmark impeachment proceeding. The president himself has called the whistleblower's account a 'political hack job.'"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been given the first chance to try to form a new government after negotiations with his main rival, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, failed to produce a governing coalition. Someone said last week that a cat has nine lives, and Netanyahu has used 13. "The decision to give the mandate [to Netanyahu] was based on the question of who has the better chance of forming a government," Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said Wednesday. "Right now, Benjamin Netanyahu's chance of forming a government is higher." The prime minister, who heads the Likud party, currently has a coalition of 55 seats in the Knesset, owing to his alliances with right-wing Orthodox and Zionist parties. However, after the previous election in April, Netanyahu mustered 60 seats, falling just short of the 61 needed to form a government. He has four weeks to reach the threshold, and the possibility of two more weeks if needed. He may need every second of that time.UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to cut short his visit to the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday and return to face the ire of British legislators, after the UK Supreme Court voted unanimously to block his attempt to abrogate Parliament until October 14. Supreme Court President Lady Brenda Hale called Johnson's advice to the queen to suspend Parliament "unlawful, void and of no effect."The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the US had reached a migration deal with Honduras which would allow US immigration officials to send asylum seekers to Honduras if they passed through the Central American country on their way to the US but did not apply for asylum there. Honduras is currently one of the most violent and poverty-stricken nations in the world. "Department of Homeland Security officials reached the accord with the government of President Juan Orlando Hernández, who is embroiled in allegations of government corruption and charges that he and others have been operating the nation as a criminal enterprise — Hernández has been named as a co-conspirator in a major U.S. drug trafficking case," the Washington Post reported Wednesday.GUESTS:David Schultz — Professor of political science at Hamline University and author of "Presidential Swing States: Why Only Ten Matter." Jim Kavanagh — Political analyst and commentator and editor of The Polemicist.Daniel Lazare — Journalist and author of three books: "The Frozen Republic," "The Velvet Coup" and "America's Undeclared War."

Samantha Power, former President Barack Obama's U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is widely known as a leading moral voice of her generation. Power has been described by President Obama as one of America's “foremost thinkers on foreign policy” and is revered as a Pulitzer Prize winner and a relentless advocate for promoting human rights. In her memoir, The Education of an Idealist, Power traces her extraordinary career and her change from an outspoken war correspondent and vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy to working with Obama in the Senate, on the campaign trail and throughout his presidency. Power takes us across the world from the streets of war-torn Bosnia to the White House Situation Room and delves into the complex networks of high-stakes diplomacy through her humorous, stirring and ultimately unforgettable account of the striking power of idealism. Join us for an invigorating and honest conversation with a world leader and human rights activist as she empowers us to approach global politics with a clearer eye and a kinder heart. This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 5, 2016, the day of Comey's press conference, the FBI acquired the Donald Trump-Russia dossier by Christopher Steele. In late July, the FBI opened an investigation into the Trump campaign. Comey asked President Obama for permission to write an op-ed, which would warn the public that the Russians were interfering in the election. The President denied the request. CIA Director John O. Brennan then gave an unusual private briefing on the Russians to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid; Reid then publicly referred to the briefing. Comey, however, refused to confirm—even in classified Congressional briefings—that the Trump Campaign was under investigation. In early October, meetings were held in the White House Situation Room; National Security Advisor Susan Rice argued that the information should be released, while Comey argued that disclosure was no longer needed. In January 2017, Comey first met Trump when he briefed the President-elect on the Steele dossier. On January 27, 2017, Trump and Comey dined alone at the White House. According to Trump, Comey requested the dinner so as to ask to keep his job and, when asked, told Trump that he was not under investigation. Trump has stated that he did not ask Comey to pledge his loyalty. However, according to Comey's associates, Trump requested the dinner, asked Comey to pledge his loyalty, twice, to which Comey replied, twice, that he would always be honest, until Trump asked him if he would promise "honest loyalty", which Comey did. On February 14, the day after President Trump fired Michael T. Flynn, Comey met with the President during a terrorism threat briefing in the Oval Office. At the end of the meeting Trump asked the other security chiefs to leave, then told Comey to consider imprisoning reporters over leaks and that "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go." Comey, as is usual, immediately documented the meeting in a memo and shared it with FBI officials. In his Congressional testimony, Comey clarified that he took Trump's comment to be "an order" to drop the Flynn investigation, but "that he did not consider this an order to drop the Russia investigation as a whole." On March 4, Comey asked the Justice Department for permission, which was not given, to publicly refute Trump's claim that his phones had been wiretapped by then-President Obama. On March 20, in testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, Comey confirmed that the FBI has been investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia and whether any crimes were committed. During the hearing, the White House Twitter account posted "The NSA and FBI tell Congress that Russia did not influence the electoral process," which Comey, when he was read the tweet by Congressman Jim Himes, directly refuted. Comey also refuted the President's Trump Tower wiretapping allegations, testifying "I have no information that supports those tweets, and we have looked carefully inside the FBI." This an an audio narration of the Mueller Report Summary of Volume 2. Download the android app for the full report audio from play.google.com/store/apps/de... or visit MuellerReportAudioBook.com for a web player. We are proud to be curating a stream of positivity, fact, and information on Twitter at @PublicaccessPod (twitter.com/PublicAccessPod) Facebook as well @PublicAccessAmerica (facebook.com/PublicAccessAmerica). Please take a moment to subscribe, rate and review on iTunes ( goo.gl/soc7KG) The Stitcher Smart Radio App (goo.gl/XpKHWB) or any where you find your favorite podcast. Subscriptions, ratings, and reviews drive the algorithm, If you are someone that believes there are better conversations to be had, a new optimistic discourse, with conversation that goes beyond politically correct into honest and useful. If you prefer fact, and education over easy headlines and grey area rhetoric, Then I ask you to support Public Access America.

Congressional leaders just briefed in White House situation room on Iran's shoot down of U.S. drone; Trump: "You'll find out" if U.S. will strike Iran; says Iran made "Very big mistake" downing U.S. drone; U.S. Commander: Iranian claims that drone was shot down over Iran are "Categorically False"; Iran: No intention to fight, but "Completely ready for war"; Iran condemns drone flight as "Provocative Action" saying U.S. Aircraft was downed over its territory; Pelosi on Iran: "Essential we remain fully engaged with our allies... do everything in our power to de-escalate"; Trump: "Hard to Believe" drone shutdown was intentional, it could have been done by somebody "Loose and Stupid"; House Judiciary releases transcript of Hope Hicks Interview; Trump, Lawmakers briefed on UFO sightings by military pilotsTo learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Marc Groman (co-host) is an internationally recognized expert in privacy, technology, and cyber security. His past roles include Senior Advisor for Privacy in the Obama White House, Chief Privacy Officer of the Federal Trade Commission, and President and CEO of the Network Advertising Initiative. His vision and innovative approaches to tackling privacy and tech issues during the Obama Administration earned him the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ 2017 Leadership Award. Marc does not shy away from controversy, having spent countless hours debating high profile and high-stakes issues around conference tables in the Pentagon, West Wing and White House Situation Room. But if you ask Marc, the most challenging privacy and security debates take place at his kitchen table, discussing screen time, inappropriate content, and gaming with his teenage son. Marc notes that members of the President’s Cabinet rarely argued, “But all the other Department Heads get to do it” or “That’s not fair!” When not consulting, serving on various boards, or teaching at Georgetown Law School, you’ll often find Marc explaining Snapchat, YouTube, smartphone privacy settings, and Fortnite to other dazed and confused parents.

Episode 69 of the NonProphets podcast, Atief, Robert, and Scott talk to Marc Koehler. Marc is the Vice President of Good Judgment Inc., in charge of government relations and co-head of analytics as well as an accomplished superforecaster. He was simultaneously the top forecaster on the internal Intelligence Community Prediction Market, the Good Judgment Project superforecaster prediction market, and on Hypermind. Marc was formerly in the Foreign Service with postings to the Office of the Vice President, the White House Situation Room, the National Security Council, the Pentagon, and the State Department, and overseas in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Nepal, Hong Kong and Sweden. Marc talks with us about working with Vice President Dick Cheney and Scooter Libby (1:18); the Pentagon Joint Staff and the Office of Net Assessments (4:55); ACE tournament Good Judgment Project and ICPM forecasting—open-source vs. classified information (6:55); how superforecasters think (11:35); how to set up the best predictive intelligence capacity for the US Government (21:50); formulating the right questions (29:27); when the truth is not wanted—North Korean plutonium reactor project in Syria incident (36:42), forecasting Kim Jong-un (39:39); China (47:28); whether we are headed into a Thucydides trap with China? (49:07); the possibility of a new Taiwan Straits Crisis (54:55); and what’s next for Good Judgment (1:00:04). As always, you can reach us at nonprophetspod.wordpress.com or at nonprophetspod@gmail.com. (recorded 01/04/2019)

    President Donald Trump's hatred of looking foolish and Democrats' conviction that they have a winning hand is leaving the President with no way out of the stalemate over his border wall.That means hundreds of thousands of federal workers, in limbo in a government shutdown that is within days of becoming the longest on record, are about to pay a heavy price when their paychecks don't arrive as normal on Friday.Far from moving toward a resolution, the shutdown, which started in the old Republican Congress and has stretched into the new Democratic House majority, is becoming more intractable by the day.On Wednesday, in talks with top congressional leaders, Trump lived up to a tweet he fired off nearly eight years ago: "'Know when to walk away from the table.' The Art of the Deal."He stormed out of the White House Situation Room after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to finance the border wall that the President didn't manage to get funded when the GOP held the purse strings.

        President Donald Trump's hatred of looking foolish and Democrats' conviction that they have a winning hand is leaving the President with no way out of the stalemate over his border wall. That means hundreds of thousands of federal workers, in limbo in a government shutdown that is within days of becoming the longest on record, are about to pay a heavy price when their paychecks don't arrive as normal on Friday. Far from moving toward a resolution, the shutdown, which started in the old Republican Congress and has stretched into the new Democratic House majority, is becoming more intractable by the day. On Wednesday, in talks with top congressional leaders, Trump lived up to a tweet he fired off nearly eight years ago: "'Know when to walk away from the table.' The Art of the Deal." He stormed out of the White House Situation Room after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declined to finance the border wall that the President didn't manage to get funded when the GOP held the purse strings.

President Trump hosted a midday Cabinet meeting at the White House today. He also took part in an afternoon briefing on border security with congressional leaders. The classified briefing was conducted by homeland security officials in the White House Situation Room. Border security is at the heart of the partial shutdown of the federal government. Trump is demanding several billion dollars to help construct a massive border wall but Democrats have rejected that demand. Dems assume control of the House tomorrow. What did the President really say today? The government shutdown has left America's national parks largely unsupervised. No one is at the gate. No one is collecting a fee. The visitor centers are closed. The Smithsonian Institution, having depleted temporary funding, will close all of its museums and the National Zoo. Also, for one tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the government shutdown comes with a price tag: about $100,000, every day, of federal money that does not arrive to keep health clinics staffed, food pantry shelves full and employees paid. According to the Asia Times, in his New Year's Day speech, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reiterated his commitment to denuclearization and said he was willing to meet US President Donald Trump at any time, but also warned that his state could pursue different initiatives if the US continues its sanctions and pressure tactics. How much of this was Kim making nice, nice vs. a subtle warning that the US needs to make some positive steps in terms of sanction relief?Last year, the conciliatory messaging in Kim's New Year's Day address led to a range of breakthroughs for the previously isolated leader and his state. This year, Kim's key messaging was binary. He also appeared to be aiming at three distinct audiences: the United States, South Korea and his domestic populace. Optics are very important, in the Asia Times they write, In international statesman mode, a grey-suited Kim forewent his usual flamboyant tunic, and instead of speaking at a podium, delivered his address from a leather armchair in a book-lined, wood-paneled office. Who would have thought 3 years ago that Kim would be described as being in international statesman mode?Mitt Romney's op-ed in today's Post is being widely praised by the usual suspects in Never-Trump Land. So, Mitt Romney, a multi-millionaire Republican - now from Utah and the party's 2012 nominee for president, will be sworn into the U.S. Senate on Thursday pens the piece, “Mitt Romney: The president shapes the public character of the nation. Trump's character falls short.” He wrote, “It is well known that Donald Trump was not my choice for the Republican presidential nomination. After he became the nominee, I hoped his campaign would refrain from resentment and name-calling. It did not…on balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions last month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office.” What did Romney say and what does it mean? Also, what's going on in the Democrat party right now? GUESTS: Teresa M. Lundy — Government Affairs and Public Relations Specialist and principal of TML Communications, LLC.Jay Winter Nightwolf — originator and host of The American Indian's Truths — Nightwolf — the Most Dangerous Show On Radio on WPFW 89.3 FM. His show is the only Native American program on FM radio in the mid-Atlantic region. Nightwolf is also the first Native American Indian to serve as a national advisory member of The Progressive Democrats of America.Dr. Gerald Horne — Professor of history at the University of Houston and author of many books, including Blows Against the Empire: US Imperialism in Crisis.Eugene Puryear - Co-Host of By Any Means Necessary on Sputnik Radio.

A closed-door briefing for congressional leaders in the White House Situation Room on Wednesday failed to resolve any issues between Democrats and the Trump administration over funding for border security.The stalemate has led to a partial government shutdown, now nearing the two-week mark. This episode: Congressional correspondent Scott Detrow, Congressional reporter Kelsey Snell, and White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe,. Email the show at nprpolitics@npr.org. Find and support your local public radio station at npr.org/stations.

In 2015, Russian hackers tunneled deep into the computer systems of the Democratic National Committee, and the subsequent leaks of the emails they stole may have changed the course of American democracy. But to see the DNC hacks as Trump-centric is to miss the bigger, more important story: Within that same year, the Russians not only had broken into networks at the White House, the State Department, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but had placed implants in American electrical and nuclear plants that could give them the power to switch off vast swaths of the country. This was the culmination of a decade of escalating digital sabotage among the world’s powers, in which Americans became the collateral damage as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia battled in cyberspace to undercut one another in daily just-short-of-war conflict.The Perfect Weapon is the startling inside story of how the rise of cyberweapons transformed geopolitics like nothing since the invention of the atomic bomb. Cheap to acquire, easy to deny, and usable for a variety of malicious purposes—from crippling infrastructure to sowing discord and doubt—cyber is now the weapon of choice for democracies, dictators, and terrorists. Two presidents—Bush and Obama—drew first blood with Operation Olympic Games, which used malicious code to blow up Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, and yet America proved remarkably unprepared when its own weapons were stolen from its arsenal and, during President Trump’s first year, turned back on the US and its allies. The government was often paralyzed, unable to threaten the use of cyberweapons because America was so vulnerable to crippling attacks on its own networks of banks, utilities, and government agencies.Moving from the White House Situation Room to the dens of Chinese government hackers to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger—who broke the story of Olympic Games in his previous book—reveals a world coming face-to-face with the perils of technological revolution. The Perfect Weapon is the dramatic story of how great and small powers alike slipped into a new era of constant sabotage, misinformation, and fear, in which everyone is a target. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In 2015, Russian hackers tunneled deep into the computer systems of the Democratic National Committee, and the subsequent leaks of the emails they stole may have changed the course of American democracy. But to see the DNC hacks as Trump-centric is to miss the bigger, more important story: Within that same year, the Russians not only had broken into networks at the White House, the State Department, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but had placed implants in American electrical and nuclear plants that could give them the power to switch off vast swaths of the country. This was the culmination of a decade of escalating digital sabotage among the world’s powers, in which Americans became the collateral damage as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia battled in cyberspace to undercut one another in daily just-short-of-war conflict.The Perfect Weapon is the startling inside story of how the rise of cyberweapons transformed geopolitics like nothing since the invention of the atomic bomb. Cheap to acquire, easy to deny, and usable for a variety of malicious purposes—from crippling infrastructure to sowing discord and doubt—cyber is now the weapon of choice for democracies, dictators, and terrorists. Two presidents—Bush and Obama—drew first blood with Operation Olympic Games, which used malicious code to blow up Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, and yet America proved remarkably unprepared when its own weapons were stolen from its arsenal and, during President Trump’s first year, turned back on the US and its allies. The government was often paralyzed, unable to threaten the use of cyberweapons because America was so vulnerable to crippling attacks on its own networks of banks, utilities, and government agencies.Moving from the White House Situation Room to the dens of Chinese government hackers to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger—who broke the story of Olympic Games in his previous book—reveals a world coming face-to-face with the perils of technological revolution. The Perfect Weapon is the dramatic story of how great and small powers alike slipped into a new era of constant sabotage, misinformation, and fear, in which everyone is a target.Featuring:David E. Sanger, national security correspondent for the New York Times and bestselling author of The Inheritance and Confront and Conceal Teleforum calls are open to all dues paying members of the Federalist Society. To become a member, sign up here. As a member, you should receive email announcements of upcoming Teleforum calls which contain the conference call phone number. If you are not receiving those email announcements, please contact us at 202-822-8138.

In 2015, Russian hackers tunneled deep into the computer systems of the Democratic National Committee, and the subsequent leaks of the emails they stole may have changed the course of American democracy. But to see the DNC hacks as Trump-centric is to miss the bigger, more important story: Within that same year, the Russians not only had broken into networks at the White House, the State Department, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but had placed implants in American electrical and nuclear plants that could give them the power to switch off vast swaths of the country. This was the culmination of a decade of escalating digital sabotage among the world’s powers, in which Americans became the collateral damage as China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia battled in cyberspace to undercut one another in daily just-short-of-war conflict.The Perfect Weapon is the startling inside story of how the rise of cyberweapons transformed geopolitics like nothing since the invention of the atomic bomb. Cheap to acquire, easy to deny, and usable for a variety of malicious purposes—from crippling infrastructure to sowing discord and doubt—cyber is now the weapon of choice for democracies, dictators, and terrorists. Two presidents—Bush and Obama—drew first blood with Operation Olympic Games, which used malicious code to blow up Iran’s nuclear centrifuges, and yet America proved remarkably unprepared when its own weapons were stolen from its arsenal and, during President Trump’s first year, turned back on the US and its allies. The government was often paralyzed, unable to threaten the use of cyberweapons because America was so vulnerable to crippling attacks on its own networks of banks, utilities, and government agencies.Moving from the White House Situation Room to the dens of Chinese government hackers to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger—who broke the story of Olympic Games in his previous book—reveals a world coming face-to-face with the perils of technological revolution. The Perfect Weapon is the dramatic story of how great and small powers alike slipped into a new era of constant sabotage, misinformation, and fear, in which everyone is a target.Featuring:David E. Sanger, national security correspondent for the New York Times and bestselling author of The Inheritance and Confront and Conceal Teleforum calls are open to all dues paying members of the Federalist Society. To become a member, sign up here. As a member, you should receive email announcements of upcoming Teleforum calls which contain the conference call phone number. If you are not receiving those email announcements, please contact us at 202-822-8138.