CNA Talks: A National Security Podcast

This episode examines how emergency managers can reap the benefits of AI tools while avoiding some of their pitfalls, like hallucinations. Guest Biographies Jamie Biglow is a Project Manager with CNA's Center for  Emergency Management Operations . She'll be speaking at the 2026 National Homeland Security Conference. Gregor Goodman is CNA's chief AI officer, acting as the end-to-end technology inte...

Over the past decade, China sought to deepen its ties with the Pacific Islands. This includes an effort to expand its footprint in the region's media landscape. Guest Biographies Heidi Holz  is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA's  China Studies Program . Her research focuses on People's Republic of China (PRC) strategic communications, propaganda, disinformation, and other global influence effort...

This episode examines various depictions of emergency management in Hollywood movies and asks what the consequences are of inaccurate portrayals.  Guest Biographies Heather Marshall is a Senior Research Specialist with CNA's Center for Emergency Management Operations. Sydney Stewart is an expert in emergency management and homeland security, specializing in large-scale incident planning and respon...

This episode examines the effort to revitalize America's shipping and shipbuilding capacity in the context of the current crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Guest Biographies Bill Komiss is an expert in economic analysis of operational energy and infrastructure. He specializes in statistical modeling of military construction projects and facility life cycles, as well as structural modeling of energy...

With the inauguration of Péter Magyar, Hungary has a new prime minster for the first time in 16 years. This episode explores what this means for the nation and for Europe. Guest Biographies Julian G. Waller is an expert in Russian political-military affairs, elite strategic decision-making, adversary systems of governance, and civil-military relations outside the West. He is also a scholar of the...

This episode covers Balance, a learning game that helps law enforcement supervisors protect the emotional well-being of their officers. Guest Biographies Brittany Cunningham is an expert in scientific research and analysis and has more than a decade of experience designing, implementing and managing rigorous research studies and evaluations at the local, state and national level.  Geoff Smith is a...

This episode explores CNA's Arsenal of Policy wargame, which is designed to explore opportunities to strengthen, improve, and expand the US defense industrial base (DIB).  Guest Biographies Sarah Fusco is a specialist in international and non-traditional security threats. Her work focuses on emergent security challenges such as increasing partner capabilities in maritime security and domain awaren...

Experts discuss how AI tools can address challenges in the field of criminal justice and how these tools can be used ethically. Guest Biographies Vivian Elliot is the Director of CNA's Center for Justice Research and Innovation . She is an expert in criminal justice and emergency preparedness. She specializes in law enforcement organizational reform; after-action analysis; training and technical a...

Iran has a new Supreme Leader for the first time in almost 37 years, Mojtaba Khamenei. This episode explores his background, education, and ideology. Guest Biographies Michael Connell is an expert in Persian-Gulf security-related issues, the armed forces of Iran, U.S.-GCC security cooperation, and adversary cyber policy and strategy. He has served as CNA's Field Analyst to Naval Forces Central Com...

This episode examines how the ubiquitous presence of drones in the Ukraine War has shaped the conflict. Guest Biographies Samuel Bendett (@sambendett) is an advisor with CNA's Russia Studies Program . His research focuses on Russian defense and technology developments; uncrewed, robotic and autonomous military systems; artificial intelligence; and Russian military capabilities.

As we enter the fifth year of war in Ukraine, experts from CNA's Russia Studies program sit down to discuss what the war has revealed about the Russian way of war. Guest Biographies Dmitry Gorenburg  is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA's  Russia Studies Program . He is an expert on security issues in the former Soviet Union, the Russian military, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and i...

This episode covers the most recent wave of protests in Iran, what they mean for the government's stability, and how US regional allies are responding.  Guest Biographies Michael Connell is an expert in Persian-Gulf security-related issues, the armed forces of Iran, U.S.-GCC security cooperation, and adversary cyber policy and strategy. He has served as CNA's Field Analyst to Naval Forces Central...

The Oreshnik Comes to Belarus Belarus has become the latest stage for Russia's military ambitions, hosting the powerful Oreshnik missile system. We discuss the specifics of this missile system, and what this deployment means for NATO. Guest Biographies Decker Eveleth is an Associate Research Analyst with CNA's  Countering Threats and Challenges Program . He specializes in open-source analysis.  Ga...

CNA is committed to using the latest technology to help us deliver for our sponsors. In this episode, we discuss how we are integrating our LLM, Morse Code, into our research process. Guest Biographies Dr. Jonathan Schroden is the Chief Research Officer within the Office of the President at the CNA Corporation. In this role, he oversees CNA's Research Office, including the life cycle of research q...

This episode discusses the benefits of drone as first responder (DFR) programs for police departments and public safety offices. Guest Biographies Officer J. "Matt" Rowland is a 20-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) located in Fort Wayne, IN. He was a founding member of the FWPD Air Support Unit (ASU) in 2017. He spent 15 years in the Operations division and served 6 years dur...

Experts discuss the Fourth Plenum of the 20th CCP Central Committee, where nine senior military officials were expelled from the Chinese Communist Party. Guest Biographies Michael Donmoyer is a Research Analyst with CNA's China Studies Program . Eduaro Jaramillo is an Associate Research Analyst with CNA's China Studies Program .   Further Reading CNA InDepth: Military Purges at China's Fourth Plen...

This episode examines a new CNA model that can help government officials optimally deploy unmanned systems, and how it overlaps with our existing tools. Guest Biographies Arpita Verma  is an expert in optimization, modeling, and simulation in CNA's  Data Science for Production Program . John Crissman  is an expert in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and natural language processi...

This episode features a panel of CNA's own Gayatri Gopavajhala and Lizzy Schneider, data scientists, discussing their paths to being in their roles as data scientists at CNA. Guest Biographies Gayatri Gopavajhala is a Data Analyst in CNA's Data Science for Sustainment Program. Lizzy Schneider is a Research Analyst in CNA's Data Science for Production Program.     

In this episode, we explore how the war in Ukraine has impacted Russian military thought on combined arms operations, naval surface warfare, and air dominance operations. Guest Biographies Michael Petersen  is a principal research scientist in CNA's  Russia Studies Program. He is an expert on Russian military strategy, operations, and net assessments of high-intensity conflict. From 2023-2024, he...

In this episode, we discuss how the war in Ukraine has not altered Moscow's threat perceptions, but amplified and reinforced them. Guest Biographies Gabriela Iveliz Rosa-Hernandez is an Associate Research Analyst at the CNA  Russia Studies Program . Her research centers on security orders, deterrence issues, and Russia's security policy, supplemented by her significant in-country experience living...

This episode explores how the PRC is developing autonomous drone swarm technology for deployment during a potential military invasion of Taiwan. Guest Biographies Timothy Ditter is a senior research scientist in CNA's  China Studies Program . His work covers PLA amphibious warfare, China's military modernization and expansion, China's growing nuclear weapons program, and China's nascent global mil...

This episode discusses the benefits of drone as first responder (DFR) programs for police departments and public safety offices. Guest Biographies Officer J. "Matt" Rowland is a 20-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) located in Fort Wayne, IN. He was a founding member of the FWPD Air Support Unit (ASU) in 2017. He spent 15 years in the Operations division and served 6 years dur...

This episode covers CNA's latest research into technology competition between the US and the People's Republic of China. Guest Biographies  April Herlevi  is a senior research scientist in CNA's China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division.  Christopher Cairns is a research scientist in CNA's China and Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Division. Further Reading Intersection Issue 15

This episode examines the political, military, and economic elements of the relationship between Russia and India. Guest Biographies Dmitry Gorenburg  is a Senior Research Scientist in CNA's  Russia Studies Program . He is an expert on security issues in the former Soviet Union, the Russian military, Russian foreign policy, and ethnic politics and identity.  Jeffrey Kucik is a research scientist w...

In this episode, our experts discuss the Navy's effort to rebuild US shipbuilding and to integrate artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. Guest Biographies Joshua Tallis is CNA's Hybrid Fleet Research Coordinator and our scientific analyst to the Chief of Naval Operations, a position he has occupied since the end of 2023.  Steven Wills  is an expert in US Navy strategy and policy, and U.S...