Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon

In this special edition of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric examine public health policy as national security. Beginning with HHS’s termination of pediatric health grants, they map the downstream consequences of politicized funding: diminished institutional trust, fragmented preparedness, and greater vulnerability ahead of the next crisis. Questioning science isn’t the problem— questioning sc...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric start with Europe’s move to fund Ukraine through 2026–2027 and unpack what that signals (and what it doesn’t): real staying power, internal fractures, the role of Russian propaganda, and visible public disagreements in intelligence assessments about Putin’s intentions. Next, they turn to the NDAA and use it as a lens on how national securit...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric track Transparency by Design; how you build trust in national security by setting clear outcomes instead of picking winners. They start with DOE’s Genesis Mission, a national push to use AI and advanced computing to supercharge U.S. science through DOE's 17 national labs, while warning against “integration theater” and calling for real...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric crack open the 2025 National Security Strategy. They start by explaining what a National Security Strategy is supposed to do—define outcomes, not micromanage actions—and what it means when a strategy leans hard into “America First” rhetoric while saying almost nothing about education, health, and the human capital that underpins national po...

In this special edition of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric explore the troubling rise of retribution politics in America. Prompted by a Reuters investigation into over 470 individuals and institutions allegedly targeted by the Trump administration, they examine what happens when government power is used to punish dissent—from prosecutors and journalists to universities and companies. Timest...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric look at the price of trust—starting with an Afghan ally accused of murdering a West Virginia National Guard member near the White House and the administration’s response: freezing asylum and visa decisions for Afghan allies. They unpack what it means to run a “nation of immigrants” on fear instead of evidence, then turn to Ukraine back-chan...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric trace how seemingly ordinary deals can reshape American security, starting with a Chinese-linked insurance acquisition that offers a window into the “holy grail” of intelligence—intent. Some foreign capital is about substitution, not partnership. From there, they turn to energy in the AI era, using the federal loan to restart Three Mile Isl...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric break down a new milestone in AI operations: an agentic hack using Claude that orchestrates tools together. They explain what’s actually new about the attack, why intent plus AI scale is the real risk, and how governments, companies, media, and citizens should think about Who’s Responsible in this next phase. From there, they turn to water...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric discuss U.S. global influence on display as a C5+1 White House celebration, a former al-Qaeda–linked Syrian leader visits, and the State Department expresses irritation as the EU grabs first-mover ground in standards—from a draft Space Act to AI policy. They weigh the case for an AI bubble and the benefits of natural down-selection versus t...

 In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric discuss the significance of local elections around the country. They delve into the U.S. government’s approach to decommissioned nuclear warheads, current discussions about resuming nuclear testing, and key takeaways from President Trump’s diplomatic tour in Asia. They also examine a high-profile insider-threat case involving a defense con...

We’re back! In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric put speed at the center of national power—why getting tech from contract to combat faster is the 2025 advantage, how to measure success in Ukraine beyond headlines, and what AUKUS and Australia’s rare-earth capacity mean for resilient national security. Plus: what to realistically expect from upcoming Asia travel—watch South Kor...

In this episode of Understandable Insight s, Sue and Eric put quantum computing on the table—what quantum computers are, why “harvest-now, decrypt-later” raises the stakes for your data, and what a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) world will look like. Plus: China’s threats to restrict rare-earth exports, partnership opportunities in AI-enabled open-source intelligence (OSINT), and the implications...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric unpack Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s fiery Quantico address—why it was a tactical speech to a strategic audience, how it missed the mission, and what its message signals for women and talent across the country. They examine the tension between unity and conformity, leadership and loyalty, and the risk of mistaking discipline for devotion....

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric discuss President Erdoğan’s visit to the White House and analyze Turkey, a necessary NATO ally, through Umberto Eco’s ‘ur-fascism’ lens. They examine the SIM farm operating near the U.N. and how cybercriminals are shifting from endpoints to the telecom infrastructure layer. Plus: quick updates on the real-world impacts of a U.S. government...

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric sit down with Hon. Shannon Corless, former Assistant Secretary for Treasury’s Office of Intelligence & Analysis, to map how finance, technology, and national security now operate as one system.  She starts with a clear Blockchain/Digital Assets 101 and why on-chain transparency can aid law enforcement even as anonymity muddies attributio...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric dive into autonomous defense at sea, surveillance tech exported by U.S. firms, and the leadership needed when crises hit. After a quick scan of the geopolitical hotspots.  They unpack Australia’s Ghost Shark program and what undersea autonomy means for allied procurement and deterrence, then ask who is responsible when American technology e...

Congressional oversight under pressure. Stablecoins meet statecraft. Caribbean motives, city security, and the homefront of national resilience. In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric draw a through-line on oversight: from the Trump family’s WLFI stablecoin push, to a U.S. buildup and lethal strike off Venezuela—and whether “counter-narcotics” masks regime pressure—to an NGA vis...

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric connect three fronts of resilience: cybersecurity on the home front, the governance of biometrics, and the future of American agriculture. They unpack the reduced capacity of coordinated cyber communication, what policy looks like for biometric data and the claims of disinformation in Greenland. Then they head to the Heartland: shrinking far...

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric highlight the national security issues of intelligence community downsizing, state equity in critical chips, and the return of Ukraine’s abducted children. Along the way, they explore whether proposed changes to the ODNI threaten its value, the risks inherent in  aligning industrial policy and market forces, and why the return of Ukraine’s c...

In this episode, Sue and Eric tackle three issues with profound implications for our republic and, ultimately, for our geopolitical standing: the open question of how the US sees its responsibility to Ukraine and its prior commitments; the commoditization of influence operations by an adversary and erstwhile competitor; and whether partisan power can be placed above constitutional constraints. Tim...

In this episode of Understandable Insights , Sue and Eric jump into two Administration announcements—the GENUIS Act, the Nation’s first cryptocurrency policy focusing on stable coins; the second the elimination of more than $500M in mRNA research funding  As always, they break down the details of the announcements and put them in more strategic context  in other words, what they portend.  To begin...

In this bonus episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric delve into the rapid expansion of China's commercial space industry and its implications for U.S. dominance in low Earth orbit. They discuss the need for responsible use of space, the role of market forces versus government regulations, and the potential executive order that could reshape how space launches and orbital safety are...

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss the geopolitical threats that intersect America’s interests, continue to focus on the intersection of China, cyber, and AI, this time with a more human dimension, and finish up with a look at the recent efforts to at best undermine and at worst destroy America’s institutions that underpin our security. Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction...

In this bonus episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss China's increasing influence within multilateral organizations like the United Nations through strategic funding, staffing, and diplomatic coalitions. Amidst U.S. retrenchment from these bodies, the conversation explores the implications of China's investments in global institutions like the WHO and ITU and how this s...

In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric dive into a couple headlines shaping our world, specifically two announcements that could have profound effect on US technology strategy–the outstanding question is to what strategic effect. With President Trump’’s recent AI Action Plan, they discuss the administration's AI deregulation strategy and how it aims to maintain US superiorit...