Fault Lines

Today, Morgan, Martha, Sarah, and Jess discuss the latest developments in the U.S.–Japan relationship following President Trump’s meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders announced a wide-ranging set of agreements, including deals on F-35 fighter jets, missile systems, and a Memorandum of Understanding to finance new shipbuilding and critical mineral projects. With C...

Today, Martha, Les, Morgan, and Jess discuss the latest from President Trump’s Asia tour — with stops in Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea ahead of this week’s high-profile U.S.–China meeting at APEC. With a new framework reportedly in place between Trump and Xi, including quarterly check-ins, Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, cooperation on critical minerals, and a fentanyl agreement,...

Today, Jess, Martha, Les, and Matt break down the newest wave of U.S. sanctions targeting Russian oil exports — measures designed to cut off Russia’s funding for war in Ukraine. The package includes new secondary sanctions aimed at major buyers like India and China. India is signaling a possible rethink of its Russian oil purchases, Europe is weighing the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukrai...

Today, Les, Martha, Andy, and Jess discuss Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s White House visit and a pair of major announcements: a reinvigorated AUKUS partnership and a new U.S.–Australia critical minerals deal. While both moves signal deepening strategic and economic ties, the real test will be delivery, building nuclear-powered submarines, securing rare earth supply chains, and reduc...

Today, Morgan, Jamil, Martha, and Jess unpack the growing tension between Washington and Bogotá after President Trump accused Colombian President Gustavo Petro of running a drug manufacturing regime and threatened to slash aid and impose tariffs. The escalation follows Colombia’s inclusion last month on the U.S. list of countries failing to cooperate with anti-narcotics efforts—and a U.S. strike o...

Today, Martha, Les, Jess, and Algene discuss President Trump’s renewed focus on Ukraine following the Gaza ceasefire. President Zelensky is in Washington this week to discuss the possibility of Washington providing Tomahawk missiles—a move seen as both a gesture of support for Kyiv and a signal to Moscow. But after Trump’s recent call with Vladimir Putin, it’s hard to say exactly where things stan...

Today, Jess, Jamil, Martha, and Les discuss the wave of Gen Z–led protests shaking governments across continents—from Madagascar and Nepal, where leaders have fled, to Indonesia and beyond.  Driven by unemployment, corruption, and economic strain, these youth movements are leveraging social media and grassroots organizing to challenge entrenched power structures and, in some cases, topple lea...

Today, Les, Jamil, Amy, and Matt unpack the breakthrough in the Israel–Hamas peace process and what it means for U.S. foreign policy under President Trump. With the release of all remaining Israeli hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, and the implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan, the first phase of the agreement is underway—marking a major diplomatic win for the administration. But...

Today, Morgan, Martha, Jamil, and Andrew unpack the implementation of the Israel-Hamas peace agreement. The first phase includes the return of Israeli hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and limited Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Jared Kushner has also returned to the diplomatic stage—a possible sign for the Trump administration’s plans for the region. But major questions remain about H...

Today, Martha and Andy break down the results of the Czech parliamentary elections, where voter turnout hit a record 69%. Andrej Babiš’s populist party dominated the polls but fell short of a majority, setting up months of coalition negotiations that could reshape Czechia’s political landscape. With inflation, energy costs, and living standards driving the debate, Babiš campaigned on tax cuts, re-...

Today, Morgan, Jamil, Les, and Marc discuss the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt—talks that come just before the second anniversary of the October 7th terrorist attacks. Hamas has reportedly agreed in principle to release the remaining hostages and relinquish control of Gaza, while Israel would scale back to earlier positions. But with both sides signaling changes on the marg...

Today, Jess, Martha, Les, and Algene break down a week of developments at the Pentagon. Amidst a rebrand, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gathered nearly 800 top generals and admirals from across the world for a headline-grabbing meeting in Virginia. At the same time, the current federal shutdown has left military pay uncertain, stalled defense contracting, and cut back intelligence and cyber staff....

Today, Martha, Les, Jamil, and Jess break down the new Gaza peace plan unveiled by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House. The proposal, reportedly a 20-point framework, calls for an Arab peacekeeping force led by Jordan and Egypt, a governing council that includes the Palestinian Authority but excludes Hamas, and the release of all hostages. Trump has put himself at the c...

Today, Martha, Les, Morgan, and Jess discuss the snapback of sanctions on Iran, nearly a decade after the JCPOA was signed. Despite Russian and Iranian attempts to block the move, pre-deal sanctions have been restored with support from Germany, France, and the UK. Tehran denounced the action as illegal and recalled its ambassadors, even as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to downplay th...

Today, Morgan, Jeffrey, Andy, and Jess break down President Trump’s meeting with Turkish President Erdoğan following a busy week on the international stage. At the center of the talks: Turkey’s push to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program after being expelled during Trump’s first term for buying Russia’s S-400 air defense system. While the tone was more conciliatory than in past years, no concrete...

Today, Jess, Les, Morgan, and Jeffrey unpack President Trump’s speech at the 80th UN General Assembly — a wide-ranging address that touched on everything from real estate and polling numbers to sharp criticism of the UN itself. Beyond the headlines, the real intrigue came afterward: Trump’s meeting with President Zelensky included a surprising suggestion that NATO countries should shoot down Russi...

Today, Les, Jamil, Andy, and Jess unpack a dangerous new escalation on NATO’s flank: three Russian MiG-31s flew through Estonian airspace for several minutes on Friday, a violation Tallinn says it can prove even as Moscow denies the incident and accuses Estonia of provocation. NATO jets — including Italian F-35s and fighters from Sweden and Finland — scrambled in response. The incursion follows re...

Today, Morgan, Bishop, and Marc break down President Trump’s second state visit to the United Kingdom. The visit featured the largest military honor guard ever assembled for such an occasion, alongside announcements of major U.S. private-sector investments in UK industry from Microsoft, Nvidia, Palantir, and others.  Was this visit a substantive step forward in the U.S.-UK “special relationsh...

Today, Jess, Jamil, and Les discuss U.S. military strikes that have sunk Venezuelan gang boats in Caribbean waters, with Washington alleging that they were carrying drugs bound for the U.S. The strikes mark a sharp escalation in the war on drugs, with the Trump Administration designating several gangs as terrorist organizations and authorizing preemptive military action to protect American securit...

Today, Les, Jamil, Martha, and Jess unpack reports of Russian drones violating Romanian and Polish airspace—sparking NATO forces to intercept and raising the stakes of direct conflict between NATO and Russia for the first time. With Russian attacks in Ukraine intensifying and Trump fresh from meetings with Putin and European leaders, the question of how the U.S. and NATO should respond is more urg...

To mark Fault Lines’ 500th episode, Martha, Jamil, Les, Morgan, and Jess reflect on how September 11, 2001 reshaped U.S. national security—and what comes next. From the trauma of that day to more recent shocks like political violence at home, the team examines how terrorism has evolved but remains a persistent threat, both domestically and abroad. They share personal experiences from 9/11 and the...

Today, Morgan, Martha, and Bishop break down Israel’s dramatic strike on Hamas officials in Doha, part of Operation Summit of Fire. The attack killed five Hamas leaders—including the son of senior figure Khalil al-Hayya, though al-Hayya himself survived—and has sparked outrage in Qatar, a key U.S. partner and major host of CENTCOM operations. The Trump administration reportedly received little adv...

Today, Martha, Morgan, and Jess discuss Russia’s most massive aerial strike since the start of the full-scale invasion—an onslaught of over 800 Shahed drones, plus ballistic and cruise missiles. For the first time, Moscow hit Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers building, alongside devastating strikes on civilian areas. President Trump, signaling frustration, pledged to speak with Vladimir Putin soon as...

Today, Jess, Martha, Morgan, and Algene break down Salt Typhoon — a  years-long Chinese cyber campaign that impacted 80 countries, targeted U.S. telecommunications firms, and compromised millions of people, including political leaders and even National Guard systems. A new multinational report links the operation to three Chinese firms tied to Beijing’s military services, underscoring the sca...

Today, Les, Martha, Morgan, and Jess break down Israel’s strike on senior Houthi leaders in Yemen—a dramatic escalation in the conflict that has seen the Houthis effectively declare war on the Red Sea. Despite a U.S.-backed ceasefire in May, the group has continued to fire on international shipping, crippling global trade routes through the Suez Canal and acting as a key proxy for Iran. Israel’s s...