SpyTalk

Former DHS Intel Chief John Cohen on the Butler, Pa. fiasco with guest host Michael Isikoff. Michael Isikoff on Twitter https://twitter.com/Isikoff Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff   Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscri...

“Mafia Spies” is based on a 2019 book by the same name by veteran investigative reporter Thomas Maier, with the subtitle, “The Inside Story of the CIA, Gangsters, JFK, and Castro.” Which in turn was based largely on declassified files relating to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The TV series includes dramatic recreations of critical moments in the plots, lively, insightful com...

Reuters reporter Aram Roston with Jeff Stein on the Proud Boys resurgence. Aram Roston https://twitter.com/aramroston https://www.reuters.com/authors/aram-roston/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff   Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/t...

Frank Figliuzzi talks with Jeff Stein about the Bureau’s dizzying challenges. Frank Figliuzzi https://twitter.com/frankfigliuzzi1 LONG HAUL: Hunting the Highway Serial Killers https://www.harpercollins.com/products/long-haul-frank-figliuzzi Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter:...

Fat Leonard was “a maritime fixer who provided harbor protection, barges, cranes, food, fresh water, sewage collection, and anything else a nuclear powered aircraft carrier might need.” It’s absolutely astonishing how easily Leonard corrupted so many ranking Navy officers by providing them with prostitutes, booze, cash and airline tickets. Craig Whitlock https://twitter.com/CraigMWhitlock Fat Leon...

There are friendly nations, but no friendly intelligence services, goes an old saw in the spy business. What that means in practicality is that we have close intelligence relationships with our allies, but in many cases, we also spy on each other, not entirely trusting what they’re telling us.  In no place is this convoluted arrangement better exemplified than the security relationship between US...

Jason Leopold, a senior reporter with Bloomberg News, has literally been getting under the skin of government bureaucracies for decades. His weapon: The Freedom of Information Act, enacted by Congress in the mid-1960s because the feds, well, had an insidious propensity to bury embarrassing, or even illegal, acts under layers of official secrecy. Over the years the law has been strengthened—not tha...

Last month’s spectacular terrorist attack on a concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow, which left 144 people dead, was quickly followed by startling news that US intelligence had warned the Russians about the impending assault. When the Kremlin said the warnings hadn’t been specific, moreover, US officials pushed back, saying, in effect, “Oh yes they were,” and added details to its rejoinder. Li...

New SpyTalk Contributing Editor Mike Isikoff pokes holes in 60 Minutes’ blockbuster story. Michael Isikoff https://twitter.com/Isikoff Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-sur...

Jeff talks with Henry Schlesinger, author of " Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love ." Henry Schlesinger Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love https://a.co/d/cwXy65Z     Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff   Follow S...

Jonna Mendez, former CIA chief of disguises, discusses her new book, “In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked.” Jonna Mendez In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked https://www.amazon.com/True-Face-Womans-Life-Unmasked/dp/154170312X Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on...

Former top CIA ops official Dan Hoffman talks with Jeff about options on Putin. Daniel Hoffman https://twitter.com/danielhoffmanDC Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey....

Former US Army “influence ops” specialist Paul Cobaugh talks with Jeff about combatting conspiracy mongering.  More from Paul Cobaugh https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-cobaugh-5253b335/ truthaboutthreats.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twitter: https://twitter.com/isikoff   Fol...

Former CIA officials Kristin Wood and Martin Petersen built a Red Cell project on The Cipher Brief to challenge experts to explore how China came to supplant the US by 2041. Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedba...

Former Special Forces and CIA case officer James Stejskal chats with Jeff Stein about Berlin, Russia and more.   More from our Guest: James Stejskal  https://www.amazon.com/stores/James-Stejskal/author/B00NXOQG4Y?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Sub...

Former senior CIA officer Glenn Corn talks with Jeff Stein about the agency’s new generation and its challenges in the Middle East, Russia, and Ukraine in 2024. More from our Guest: Glenn Corn https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/glenn-corn     Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow Karen Greenberg on Twitter https://x.com/KarenGreenberg3 Follow Michael Isikoff on Twi...

The Washington Post’s Ellen Nakashima talks with Jeff about Beijing’s secret infiltration of US infrastructure. Ellen Nakashima https://twitter.com/nakashimae Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://surv...

Former CIA ops officer Douglas London joins Jeff to discuss spooky events from Gaza to Moscow, Kyiv & beyond.  Doug London https://twitter.com/douglaslondon5 Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://s...

The Washington Post’s Shane Harris joins Jeff to discuss his scoop on Ukraine’s murky op to sabotage the Nordstream-2 pipeline.  Follow Shane Harris https://twitter.com/shaneharris https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/shane-harris/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk....

CIA Russia Hand John Sipher discusses spying and sabotage ops against Vladimir Putin. Follow John Sipher https://twitter.com/john_sipher Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener survey where you can give us feedback. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-s...

Liza Mundy, author of “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA,” is this week’s special guest. Follow Liza Mundy Liza Mundy (@lizamundy) / Twitter Pre-Order “THE SISTERHOOD” out 10/17 https://www.lizamundy.com/ Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ T...

This week, Jeff talks with award-winning journalist and groundbreaking author of “Wilderness of Mirrors,” National Security Correspondent for CBS, David Martin. David C. Martin (@CBSDavidMartin) / Twitter X Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTalk on Substack https://www.spytalk.co/ Take our listener su...

This week Jeff talks cybersecurity with Michael Mestrovich, the former director of the CIA’s Technical Services Office; former Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer for the U.S. Department of State, and current Chief Information Security Officer at Rubrik. Michael Mestrovich | LinkedIn Rubrik Leadership Rubrik a Multi-Cloud Data Control Company Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.co...

Jeff talks with retired former CIA Al Qaeda expert Cindy Storer   Cynthia Storer | Johns Hopkins Advanced Academic Programs Cynthia Storer | UTEP   Pre-Order the book Jeff mentioned The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA - Kindle edition by Liza Mundy Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to Spy...

Jeff talks with CIA operations veteran Laura Thomas about the gains and losses for women at the spy agency. Follow Laura Thomas On Twitter - Laura Thomas (@laurae_thomas)  Substack The Action Line Read Laura’s piece Espionage is a Man's World - by Laura Thomas Follow Jeff Stein on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpyTalker Follow SpyTalk on Twitter: https://twitter.com/talk_spy Subscribe to SpyTal...