Rational Security

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest,  Lawfare associate editor Rohini Kurup! They sat down to discuss: “I’ll Keep You, My Dirty Little Secret”: The Supreme Court has heard oral argument in not one but two cases relating to the controversial state secrets doctrine this term. Will the doctrine survive Supreme Court scrutiny in its current form? “Coming Home to Roost”:...

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest, Rational Security editor Jen Patja Howell! They sat down to discuss: “Our Stand on Havana”: While pressure is building on the Biden administration to take a stand on Havana Syndrome , our understanding of what is happening to U.S. diplomats and other officials remains limited. What should the United States do next? “SupersonicNew...

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined once again by Lawfare executive editor Natalie Orpett! They sat down to discuss: “A Mess in Texas”: Texas’s Republican governor has appointed one of President Trump’s former election lawyers as Secretary of State. Are Trump’s supporters planning to steal the next election, or are Democrats’ concerns overblown? “In Mother Russia, Bear Poke You”: A Russi...

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Lawfare cyber fellow Alvaro Marañon! They sat down to discuss: “Some Professional News”: LinkedIn is leaving China over the challenges of complying with its strict regulations on social media. Will other companies follow—and should they?  “Diamond Joe’s Decryption Key Party”: Last week the White House hosted a summit on combating ransomware —bu...

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by Rational Security forefather and Washington Post reporter Shane Harris to discuss: “The Hunt for Bread October”: Which country did a U.S. Navy employee and his wife attempt to smuggle nuclear secrets to inside a peanut butter sandwich ? And why did that country turn them over to FBI instead? “Turn After Leaving”: Is the intelligence c...

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by special guest and Lawfare associate editor Bryce Klehm to discuss: "The Problem with Nosy Neighbors": How concerned should we be about the Chinese military getting up in Taiwan’s business—and airspace—over the weekend ? "If You Want to be Popular, Don't Go to Law School": Does the Supreme Court’s declining popularity mean it is headed for a legitim...

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by special guest (and our first-ever undisputed Generation Z guest) Lawfare managing editor Jacob Schulz! They discussed: From the Department of the End of the Republic: Should a recently revealed plan to manipulate the counting of the 2020 electoral votes in President Trump’s favor have us worried about 2024 ? A Prisoner Dilemma: What should we make...

This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott were joined by special guest Lawfare executive editor (and first-time podcaster) Natalie Orpett! They sat down to discuss: The AUKUS Awkwardness: Why does a new  U.S.-U.K.-Australia agreement  over  submarines  have  France  (and  China ) up in arms? Not Like on J6: What does the "Justice for J6 Rally"  flop  tell us ab...

On this week’s episode, Alan, Quinta, and Scott are joined by the fourth member of their Lawfare senior editor quartet, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow (and first-time Rational Security guest) Molly Reynolds! They sit down to discuss: the legacy of 9/11 and whether we’ve really done everything wrong since (including in Congress); the last tragic drone strike in Kabul that now appears to have k...

On this premiere episode of Rational Security 2.0, new hosts Alan Rozenshtein, Quinta Jurecic, and Scott R. Anderson are joined by special guest Benjamin Wittes to discuss: the Taliban's new government  and the brutal way it seems to be governing  (especially in relation to women ); the Biden administration's border policies , and why they're facing trouble in the courts ; and our s...

Rational Security 2.0 returns after Labor Day… You can get the rest of this bonus episode, “The ‘Dry-Runs Are for Cowards’ Edition,” by becoming a Lawfare supporter at  http://www.patreon.com/lawfare/ . And help us plan for our next phase by filling out this survey:  https://forms.gle/ga7rUz6QfNSE6NST9 .Weekly episodes of Rational Security 2.0 will start returning to this podcast fe...

We’re going to stalk our former Rational Security hosts. We’ll talk about this feed and what we should do with it. And, we’ll chew over how the first hearing of the Jan. 6 commission went. Sort of. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s our last episode—at least in our current form. We’ll reminisce about our favorite moments, hear from longtime friends and listeners, and share in a final Object Lesson.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historic protests rock Cuba. The ripple effects of an assassination linger in Haiti. And a former president warns the consequences of withdrawal from Afghanistan will be “unbelievably bad.”  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At long last, the Director of National Intelligence releases its findings about UFOs. The Trump Organization and its chief financial officers are accused of a 15-year tax fraud scheme. And Russian hackers are at it again, this time launching possibly the largest ransomware attack as well as a strike against the Republican National Committee.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

The Egyptian government may have assisted a Saudi hit team in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a new investigation finds. Congress debates repealing an authorization for “forever war.” And a judge narrows the lawsuits filed over the clearing of Lafayette Square before a Trump photo op.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World leaders convene in Cornwall and Brussels as President Biden makes his first official trip abroad. Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have a face-to-face meeting in Geneva. And leak investigations aplenty have ensnared journalists, former officials and members of Congress.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bibi Netanyahu may be out of a job. Alleged drug lords and contract killers thought they were using a secure messaging app but WOOPS, they were talking to the cops. And there’s no evidence it's aliens, but the USG doesn’t know WTF is flying around in our airspace.  Support Rational Security! Don't forget to subscribe to Lawfare 's Patreon to get access to the ad-free feed of this podcast and...

Violence escalates in Afghanistan as U.S. troops withdraw. President Biden directs intelligence agencies to look for more evidence that a lab leak may have started the covid pandemic. And a ransomware attack targets the world’s largest beef processor. Plus, special guest Madiha Afzal of the Brookings Institution joins the gang.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The prosecutor in the Trump criminal probe convenes a grand jury to hear evidence and weigh potential charges. The skyjacking of a commercial airliner over Belarus sparks international condemnation. And a former Saudi intelligence official could spill classified information in a U.S. court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fighting intensifies in Israel and Gaza as President Biden pleads for a cease fire. Lawmakers debate setting up a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack. And a New York state investigation of the Trump Organization is now exploring potential criminal conduct.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The death toll rises in Israel and Gaza as a historic wave of violence enters its third day. A ransomware attack leads to the shutdown of a major gas pipeline in the U.S. And the GOP identity crisis enters its latest phase. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Biden says he will raise the cap on refugees admitted to the United States. A federal judge accuses the Justice Department and former Attorney General Bill Barr of misleading her and Congress about the advice he got on whether to charge former President Trump. And an oversight board decides Facebook was right to suspend Donald Trump, but leaves open the question of whether to permanently...

Federal investigators search Rudy Giuliani’s New York apartment, in an escalation of a criminal investigation into the former president’s lawyer. Covid-19 ravages India, with a record-breaking number of daily infections reported, and the Biden administration pledges assistance. And two tech companies are facing off in a dispute over surveillance, privacy and security.  Hosted on Acast. See ac...

The Treasury Department says an associate of disgraced Trump ally Paul Manafort gave campaign data to “Russian Intelligence,” leading us to ask, why are we only hearing this now? A former senior Trump aide was up to even more shenanigans than we knew. And top intelligence officials testify about global threats.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.