Rational Security

Former Trump adviser Carter Page is reportedly the target of a FISA warrant. The U.S. launches a cruise missile strike in Syria, and maybe sends a not so subtle signal to China on North Korea. And is the Trump administration’s foreign policy “unpredictable” by design, or just incoherent? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the Third Triple Entente Beer Summit, the usual Rational Security Gang joins up with Stewart Baker and Michael Vatis of the Steptoe Cyberlaw Podcast to discuss airstrikes in Syria, the misadventures of Devin Nunes, and Steve Bannon's ouster from the National Security Council. Plus, in Object Lessons, Stewart recommends Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich and Shane does some sleuthing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Devin Nunes throws a wrench into the House’s Russia investigation. Meanwhile, the Senate investigation hasn’t come off the rails. And should countries declare certain kinds of cyber attacks off limits? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FBI Director James Comey makes it official: There is an investigation into Trump links to Russia. The top Democrat in the House investigating the Russian hacks makes a plea for civic virtue. And is Donald Trump his own worst enemy or his best defender? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration expands operations against ISIS and al Qaeda. The administration wants to shrink the budget for the State Department. And what do personnel moves tell us about who’s in charge of the national security apparatus? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump accuses Barack Obama of tapping his phones, and all hell breaks loose. WikiLeaks releases thousands of pages of information on CIA hacking tools. And North Korea launches missiles that may or may not have been hacked by the NSA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is under fire for his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the United States, while the Trump administration tries to deflect attention on Russia investigations. Is it time to appoint a special prosecutor to look into President Trump’s potential links to Russia? And the U.S. carries out new airstrikes in Yemen while questions linger over a recent raid against Al Qaeda. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump selects Army general H.R. McMaster as as his national security adviser after a turbulent search. A rival to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is murdered under bizarre circumstances in a Malaysian airport. And Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But is Bibi on the way out? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Flynn’s phone calls and new revelations from the Steele dossier raise questions about Russian influence. An appeals court puts the brakes on Donald Trump’s immigrant and refugee ban. Plus, listener questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, a very special guest joins the podcast to discuss the week’s news and the fate of the republic. Plus, in Object Lessons, taco bowls and bad omens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration’s executive order on immigration spurs chaos and protests. Speaking of protest, does the mass signing of a State Department dissent cable signal a new rise of bureaucratic resistance to Trump? And what to make of the re-structuring of the National Security Council? Plus, Rational Security's biggest fan Phil Walter joins the podcast this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump has announced executive orders on border security and immigration policy—and maybe interrogation. Ex-military officers are taking senior posts in the National Security Council. And investigators have scrutinized National Security Adviser Mike Flynn’s communications with Russian officials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Obama issues a raft of pardons and commutations on his last days in office. The Trump transition team has barely interacted with its counterparts on the National Security Council. And John Brennan reflects on Donald Trump and his legacy at the CIA. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FBI and intelligence community have received explosive allegations that Donald Trump’s staff had contacts with Russian government officials connected to the recent hacking campaign, and that the Russian government has blackmail material on the president-elect. Intelligence chiefs brief Congress—and Trump—on what they know about who was behind the hacking. And what do new revelations—and unproven allegations—mean for the future of Trump’s Cabinet picks and his national security policy? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Obama administration sanctions the Russians it says were involved in election hacking, while President-Elect Trump continues to insist the Russians aren’t to blame. North Korea says it’s close to developing a nuclear missile that could strike U.S. targets. And the latest not-really-a-ceasefire takes hold in Syria. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A leaked memo lays out Trump’s priorities for the Pentagon. The Chinese return an underwater U.S. Navy drone. And what does this week’s spate of terrorist attacks portend for 2017? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The CIA concludes that Russian hackers tried to help Donald Trump get elected. Trump will nominate Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as the next secretary of state. And the Obama administration is confident that journalist Austin Tice, held hostage in Syria, is alive. And a special guest joins the gang to discuss the week's news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 information.

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.

President Obama makes one last pivot to Asia in an official visit. The United States kills the Taliban’s leader. And a State Department inspector general report scolds Hillary Clinton and others for their use of private email. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An EgyptAir jet crashes en route from Paris to Cairo, immediately sparking fears of terrorism. Hackers are targeting the presidential candidates’ campaigns. And the intelligence community may scrutinize social media accounts of people applying for security clearances. Plus, listener questions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new study on “sextortion” reveals a widespread crime few people are talking about. Is a profile of presidential adviser Ben Rhodes a puff piece or a clever hit job? And president Obama faces a lawsuit over war powers from an unlikely source. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump becomes the presumptive Republican nominee for president after an overwhelming primary victory in Indiana. Iraq and Syria are in meltdown—why is this time any worse? And the Supreme Court gives the thumbs up to new hacking powers for law enforcement. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. is ramping up cyber operations against ISIS. Anotherstandoff over the FBI’s access to a locked iPhone ends, but aremore fights around the corner? And the mystery of the curioushabeas cases popping up at Guantanamo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawmakers want to give families of the 9/11 victims the power to sue Saudi government officials, but the Obama administration says that’s a terrible idea. Syrian peace talks are in jeopardy of falling apart, but a ceasefire seems to be offering some reprieve. And Facebook swears it won’t try to rig the presidential election against Donald Trump. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Navy officer is accused of spying, possibly for Taiwan and China. President Obama wades into the debate over how much government information should be classified. And a family in Kansas is trapped in a special kind of Internet hell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The hugely popular messaging system Whatsapp is now encrypting everything for 1 billion people. The financial shenanigans of the rich and powerful are laid bare in the Panama Papers, the biggest leak of all time. And Bernie Sanders has his own embarrassing interview with a newspaper editorial board. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.