Rational Security

The president-elect takes a call from the leader of Taiwan. Bipartisan pressure is mounting in Congress to investigate the Russian hacks of the presidential election. And if you're a wonk in Washington, you may be out in the cold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President-Elect Trump is zeroing in on a nominee for secretary of state. Election recounts begin amid fears of computer hacking. And in San Francisco, hackers hold the municipal railway system hostage.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump announces his picks for some key national security positions. Meanwhile, Trump grapples with multiple conflicts between his businesses and his coming presidency. The knives are out for NSA Director Adm. Mike Rogers. Plus, a special Thanksgiving Object Lesson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration transition has begun—right? The president-elect sits down with "60 Minutes" and leaves the fate of FBI Director James Comey uncertain. And foreign governments react to Trump’s election.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the gang reflects on the unexpected election of Donald Trump for president. What national security themes drove his voters? What challenges does Trump face forming a government? And how will America's allies react to his election?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FBI Director James Comey is under fire for his actions in the home stretch of the presidential election. A journalist suggests private communications between Donald Trump and a Russian bank—but is there any there there? And investigators issue a puzzling finding about the death of one of Vladimir Putin’s closest aides in a Washington, DC, hotel room. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump enter the home stretch of the presidential campaign. Hackers take down a key component of the Internet in an unprecedented attack. And WikiLeaks makes some unexpected alliances.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iraqi and U.S. forces begin the campaign to reclaim the city of Mosul, ISIS’s de facto capital in Iraq. Retired Gen. James Cartwright pleads guilty to lying to federal leak investigators. And three Kansas men are accused of plotting attacks on Muslims.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton square off in their second debate. And the intelligence community officially pins the blames on Russia for hacking U.S. political organizations.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Vice Presidential candidates face off in their first and only debate before Election Day. Senators have buyers remorse over a law that lets families of 9/11 victims sue Saudi Arabia. And can the NSA keep its own secrets?   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump face off in the first presidential debate. What did they have to say on ISIS, hackers, and other important national security issues? And a Trump adviser heads off to Moscow and meets with senior Russian government officials.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bombings in New York and New Jersey have fixed us again on the threat of lone wolf terrorists. Have back-to-back summits on refugees brought us any closer to solving a humanitarian crisis? And The Washington Post comes out against a pardon for Edward Snowden.     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much medical history should presidential candidates disclose? Activists launch a new campaign to pardon Edward Snowden, just in time for the launch of a biopic on the world’s most famous leaker. And FBI Director James Comey gets compared to J. Edgar Hoover. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spar over who’d be the better commander-in-chief. The FBI releases its report on Clinton’s email server. And what has changed, and what hasn’t, since 9/11?   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New details emerge about Americans held hostage by Islamic militants. Security researchers use an unorthodox approach to protect medical devices. And the US kills ISIS’ number 2. Does it matter?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New York Times and maybe the NSA get hacked. Is the U.S. turning the tide of the war on ISIS? And October surprises—what could happen between now and the election, and will it matter?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of the suspected Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee, experts warn that voting machines could be the next target. The U.S. begins airstrikes against ISIS in Libya. And we’ll talk about our summer reading lists.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Russian government hacks the Democratic National Committee. Is Moscow trying to swing the election for Donald Trump? Will it work or backfire? Also, the gang takes your questions!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A terrorist in Nice, France, kills more than 80 people celebrating Bastille Day. Turkey’s president hangs onto power following an attempted coup. And the congress releases 29 previously classified pages from an inquiry into the 9/11 attacks. This week, Ryan Evens of War on the Rocks joins the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Police officers in Dallas use a robot-bomb to kill the man who murdered five police officers. A tribunal rules that China is violating international law over its territorial claims. And the GOP platform committee eliminates language that supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hillary Clinton will not be prosecuted over her use of a private email server. The death toll of a bombing in Baghdad approaches 300. And the death of a Navy sailor raises concerns about the training of elite military operators.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How will the U.K.’s exit from the European Union affect U.S. national security? Is a terrorist attack in Turkey the inevitable result of battlefield victories against ISIS? And the gang takes on the sound and fury of the Benghazi report.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American political system has gone insane. What's that mean for our national security? State Department officials protest President Obama's decision not to bomb Syria. And the intelligence community lashes out at Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard. Special guest Jonathan Rauch joins the podcast this week.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Omar Mateen become a mass-killer, and could he have been stopped? The politics of the Orlando shooting have something for everyone, but very little clarity. And Russian hackers penetrate the Democratic National Committee. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hillary Clinton says Donald Trump can't be trusted to protect U.S. national security. In Israel there's talk of another war in Gaza. And a federal appeals court rules that the Fourth Amendment doesn't apply to cell phone location information.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.