The DSR Network

On this week's episode of the DSR, co-host Marc Polymeropoulos is joined by guest James Lawler, a former CIA operations officer for 25 years and former member of the CIA's Senior Intelligence Service where he specialized in the recruitment of foreign spies. Don’t miss our discussion on the Iranian nuclear program and the qualities that make an effective CIA recruiter. Learn more about your ad choi...

Norm and Kavita are back to discuss today’s headline story; the Supreme Court’s decision striking down Affirmative Action. Norm and Kavita break down the implications of the ruling, as well as the state of the Biden presidency with recent discussions surrounding the President’s health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The three-hundred-thirteenth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Eight Palestinians killed as Israel launches air attacks on Jenin  Prigozhin-controlled Russian media group shuts amid mutiny fallout New State Department Report Admits Mistakes Were Made in the U.S.’ Chaotic Withdrawal From Afghanistan France riots ease as mayors call anti-violence rally Victoria Amelina, a...

It was only Tuesday when the Supreme Court upheld a decision by North Carolina’s top court that struck down a congressional districting plan as excessively partisan under state law. Since then, the court has ruled against affirmative action in the college admissions process, struck down Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan and ruled in favor of a web designer who said she had a First Amendment ri...

The three-hundred-twelfth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Affirmative action: US Supreme Court overturns race-based college admissions Macron calls crisis talks after another night of violence across France, with more than 600 arrested Ukraine’s top general, Valery Zaluzhny, wants shells, planes and patience UN to investigate fate of 130,000 people missing in Syria war...

The three-hundred-eleventh episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Where are Russian generals Gerasimov and Surovikin after Wagner rebellion? Putin Moves to Punish Prigozhin Allies Ukraine defence minister expects Nato guarantee for after war Don’t piss off China! EU prepares to tone down its battle with Beijing France police shooting: Protests spread over killing of teenager...

As more becomes clear about the Prigozhin insurrection and as Vladimir Putin and Russia respond, new questions are emerging about how Moscow manages the aftermath of the assault and what that might mean in Russia, Ukraine and around the world. We discuss with two experts, Angela Stent of Georgetown University and independent journalist and Wagner expert, Jack Margolin. It's a great discussion. Don...

The three-hundred-tenth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Wagner chief Prigozhin is in Belarus, Lukashenko says Lukashenko says Putin wanted to 'wipe out' Prigozhin during mutiny attempt Supreme Court rejects novel legislative theory but leaves a door open for 2024 election challenges Russian General Knew About Mercenary Chief’s Rebellion Plans, U.S. Officials Say NATO w...

The three-hundred-ninth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Putin condemns Wagner rebellion but says Prigozhin’s men are free to go Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says forces advancing ‘in all directions’ Japan returns South Korea to preferred trade partner list after 4 years The Key Cases the Supreme Court Has Yet to Decide in 2023 Turkey's lira hits new low after bank rules' rollba...

The dust is still settling from Yevgeny Prigozhin's march on Moscow that gripped the world and rocked the Kremlin. Many questions remain but one thing is certain. In the wake of Prigozhin's bold if seemingly ill-fated challenge to the authority of Russia's Ministry of Defense, Vladimir Putin is weaker today in the eyes of Russians, Ukrainians and the world. We discuss the consequences of that chan...

The three-hundred-eighth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Officials question whether truce will hold in Kremlin, Wagner standoff Prigozhin’s Wagner mutiny is over. What now? Russian defense minister makes first public appearance since mercenary revolt as uncertainty swirls Police fire tear gas at Sierra Leone opposition after vote North Korea holds rallies denouncing US...

Norm and Kavita are back this week to discuss the 8-1 ruling in favor of the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement guidelines. From there, they turn their attention to Justice Alito, who earlier in the week wrote a preemptive opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal addressing the ProPublica investigative piece which disclosed his fishing trips with a Billionaire Hedge Fund manger that p...

The three-hundred-seventh episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Deep in the Atlantic, a ‘Catastrophic Implosion’ and Five Lives Lost U.S. Navy Heard What It Believed Was Titan Implosion Days Ago How Modi and Biden turbocharged India-US ties Western countries commit billions to rebuild war-ravaged Ukraine New EU sanctions put the squeeze on Russian oil smugglers Indian PM Mod...

Few people have offered the kind of insight into Donald Trump than has his niece, psychologist Mary Trump. On this special episode of DSR, we speak to Mary about how she thinks the former president is responding to the legal walls closing in on him, how he would react were he sentenced to prison and how his very first years growing up in Queens may have scarred him and put the country at risk. Don...

The three-hundred-sixth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Rescuers make a last desperate push as final hours of oxygen on the missing Titanic sub tick down Biden Plans Lavish Formal Welcome for Modi as He Seeks to Bolster Ties Russia says it downed 3 drones outside Moscow Ukraine strikes bridge to Crimea, say Russian-appointed officials Israel drone attack kills 3 in occ...

This week, Rosa Brooks of the Georgetown Law Center guest hosts for David Rothkopf. She is joined by Ed Luce of the Financial Times, David Sanger of the New York Time and Stephen Walt of Harvard’s Kennedy School to discuss their takes on Secretary Blinken’s China visit as well as Prime Minister Modi's upcoming visit to the United States. What should we make of Biden recent comments calling Xi Jinp...

The three-hundred-fifth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: In Hosting Modi, Biden Pushes Democracy Concerns to the Background Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 483 Ukraine war: Zelensky admits slow progress but says offensive is not a movie China lashes back as Biden labels Xi a 'dictator' Titan sub: What happens next after sounds detected in search Honduras: Ga...

The three-hundred-fourth episode of the DSR Daily Brief Stories Cited in the Episode: Russia attacks Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in overnight air strike Blinken has "robust conversation" with China's Xi Jinping in Beijing France resolves to support Ukraine's NATO membership EU looks to ban companies from making sensitive tech in China Indian Prime Minister Modi's Visit to Washington Is His Mos...

During the so-called Global War on Terror, the US developed legal mechanisms to help support efforts to fight "the bad guys." Some of these were said by critics on the left and right to violate the privacy rights of Americans. Now these mechanisms are up for renewal. Should we continue to embrace them. Co-hosts Marc Polymeropoulos and David Rothkopf discuss this vital issue with former CIA lawyer...

Michael’s guest this week is Pekka Kallioniemi, a postdoctoral researcher working in the field of human-computer interaction at Tampere University. He is the creator and author of Vatnik Soup, a Twitter thread series (and a hashtag!) where he introduces pro-Russian actors and propagandists from around the world, be they so-called "independent journalists", politicians, military personnel or just r...

There have been glimmers of sanity from a Supreme Court that seemed hopelessly radicalized. The former president of the United States has begun to be held accountable and America has not rioted in the streets in response. We are far from out of the woods and Donald Trump has promised that the first thing he would do were he to be reelected is to turn the country into a banana republic. But what ar...

The lies and deflections from Republicans defending Trump have spun up the ire of "Words Matter" co-host Norm Ornstein. So in this episode he not only explains why but guest co-host David Rothkopf tries unsuccessfully to defuse his anger. Instead, both recount the facts surrounding the case for which Trump was arraigned this week and the likely cases to come and frankly, the outrage only grows. Jo...

The long awaited Spring offensive has become a Summer offensive. But we are just in the first phases. Key Ukrainian units have been held back. What lies ahead will be brutal. But can Ukraine make a breakthrough? Could they take some or all of Crimea? Are militia units making a difference in Russia? We discuss with an expert, General Mark Hertling, and our expert panel including former US Defense D...

This week Zoe and Natalya are joined by Aaron Schwartzbaum, a 2023 Templeton Fellow with the Eurasia Program at the Foreign Policy Research Institute to discuss Kremlinology, Great Power competition, and the war in Ukraine. Aaron currently hosts FPRI's Bear Market Brief, The Continent, and Report in Short podcasts. If you are under 40 and interested in being featured on the podcast, be sure to fil...

Harvard's Calder Walton has written an important new history espionage called Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West. We draw upon his insights to discuss the Trump case, what another Trump Administration might mean for our intelligence community and how the history of the past 100 years of global intel rivalries can prepare us for the evolving contest with China. Co-hosts Marc Pol...