The Truth of the Matter

CSIS Africa Program director Judd Devermont joins the podcast to discuss his latest research findings that Beijing’s observable interactions with current and former African security chiefs pale in comparison to equivalent U.S. engagements, and, why this is so important for the United States in the era of strategic competition.

CSIS’s Dr. J. Stephen Morrison joins the podcast to discuss President Biden’s vaccine mandates, plans for a “Covid-19 reset” and the situation in Afghanistan with respect to Covid.

CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones joins the podcast to discuss the Taliban announcement that this week they named Sirajuddin Haqqani —the Taliban’s deputy leader and close ally of al Qaeda—to be its first minister of interior. Haqqani, a U.S.-designated terrorist with close ties to the group responsible for 9/11 is now the Afghan equivalent of director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

CSIS Human Rights Initiative Director Marti Flacks joins the podcast to discuss the new “digital Taliban,” and how it is poised to utilize biometric technology and electronic surveillance in order to rule Afghanistan. Plus, Ms. Flacks analyzes the initial signals the Taliban is sending on human rights and what, if any, leverage the United States has over the Taliban going forward.

Former Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Mike Vickers joins the podcast along with CSIS’ Dr. Seth Jones to discuss the terrorist threat following the U.S. withdrawal of Afghanistan and what the United States should do about it.

CSIS SVP, Brzezinski Chair and Middle East Program Director Jon Alterman joins the podcast to talk about the new geopolitics surrounding Afghanistan in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal and what Iran, Russia, and China’s interests are with respect to Taliban rule.

The Wall Street Journal’s Alan Cullison left Kabul on Saturday, August 14 as the Taliban were poised to take control of the Afghan capital. He joins the podcast along with CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones to discuss the latest developments as well as his recent experiences reporting on Al Qaeda and ISIS prisoners who have now been freed by the Taliban.

Former U.S. Senate candidate, U.S. Marine Lt. Col (Ret) fighter pilot Amy McGrath joins the podcast to talk about her time in Afghanistan, what she sees as the U.S. strategic interests in that region going forward, and about her new book, “Honor Bound: An American Story of Dreams and Service.”

CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones joins the podcast to talk about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and what the U.S. should be prepared to do next.

Since Friday, violence has erupted throughout Israel and the Gaza Strip between Israelis and Palestinians, sparked by attempted evictions by Jewish settlers in an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem and a skirmish between Israeli police and Palestinian mosque-goers at al Aqsa Mosque. Andrew is joined by CSIS senior vice president Jon Alterman, Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program at CSIS, to discuss the causes of the recent conflict, from ineffective governance on each side, to the end of Israeli isolationism, to undue escalation by Hamas. Hamas, which as Alterman points out, "isn't a party to any of this," began launching rockets from the Gaza Strip and "injecting itself into Jerusalem's story," expanding the conflict from East Jerusalem to the whole country and into Gaza. According to Alterman, Israel may just consider this to be more of what they refer to as "mowing the grass," another in a series of opportunities to teach Hamas a lesson and put off finding a resolution to this ongoing conflict for a few more years. Either way, in Alterman’s analysis, finding a "partner for peace" will become increasingly more difficult as Israelis and Palestinians drift farther towards social extremes—despite the fact that "nobody is going away" and "their fates are intertwined."

Shuttered live music venues across the United States are facing an unprecedented threat to their existence. Recognizing the crucial space live music occupies in American life, industry veterans Amber Mundinger and Tamara Deike spent the last year documenting America’s empty iconic venues, coast to coast via their organization “Bring Music Home.” Mundinger and Deike join the podcast to talk about their newly published unique and truly incredible coffee table book (it weighs 9 pounds!) with brilliant images of places like Washington’s 9:30 Club, New Orleans’ Tipitinas, Austin’s Stubb’s, and L.A.’s Troubadour. A docuseries and podcast are to follow. And as Mundinger and Deike discuss, live music is a bipartisan concern!

Stephen Morrison, Director of the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, rejoined the podcast to discuss the state of the pandemic, vaccine distribution and hesitancy, and achieving herd immunity in the U.S.

U.S. active-duty military personnel and reservists have participated in a growing number of domestic terrorist plots and attacks, according to new data from CSIS. The percentage of all domestic terrorist incidents linked to active-duty and reserve personnel rose in 2020 to 6.4 percent, up from 1.5 percent in 2019 and none in 2018. Similarly, a growing number of current and former law enforcement officers have been involved in domestic terrorism in recent years. But domestic terrorism is a double-edged sword. In 2020, extremists from all sides of the ideological spectrum increasingly targeted the military, law enforcement, and other government actors—putting U.S. security agencies in the crosshairs of domestic terrorists. In this episode, CSIS’s Dr. Seth Jones, Senior Vice President and Director, International Security Program, joins the podcast to discuss the findings of his new report, “The Military, Police, and the Rise of Terrorism in the United States.”

Caitlin Welsh, Director of the CSIS Global Food Security Program, rejoined the podcast to discuss how Covid-19 has increased food insecurity in the U.S. and abroad. She also shared her insights into how the Biden administration can take action to strengthen food security, emphasizing that in the U.S., it’s not an issue of food supply, but of economics. To learn more, check out Caitlin’s episode of CSIS’s newest video series Data Unpacked.

Democratic data scientist David Shor joins the podcast to talk about what’s working and what isn’t with the Democratic Party’s approach to voters in gearing up for the 2022 midterm elections.

Journalist and best-selling author Alec MacGillis joins the podcast to talk about his fascinating new book, “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America,” a story of regional inequality and economic concentration in America told through the lens of Amazon. MacGillis offers keen insight into what the growing imbalance of wealth in the United States has done to our people and to our politics, about dystopian cities, and about the winners in the one-click economy.

In this crossover episode with the CSIS podcast Coronavirus Crisis Update, Dr. Peter Hotez joined Steve Morrison and Andrew to discuss the anti-vaccine movement, the vaccine-resistant, the turmoil in Texas over lifting the mask mandate in wake of severe weather emergency, and much more.

CSIS' Director of the Aerospace Security Project, Todd Harrison, joins the podcast to discuss his new study “Defense Against the Dark Arts in Space: Protecting Space Systems from Counterspace Weapons.” The proliferation of missiles, lasers, jammers, and other anti-satellite weapons has been widely documented, but little has been said about ways to defend against these threats—Harrison says what his team wanted to do with this report is look at the other side of the equation. “Yes, we see all these threats to space systems, but what do you do about it?”

Charlie Sykes, Founder and Editor-at-large of The Bulwark and host of The Bulwark podcast joins the show to discuss the campaign to minimalize the events of January 6, tribalism in the Republican Party, and the prospects for bipartisanship in our fractured politics.

Star Washington Post reporter Josh Dawsey joins the podcast to discuss former President Trump’s upcoming speech at CPAC, his efforts to remain the leader of the GOP, the 2022 midterm elections, and the Biden administration’s early days.

Writer and policy researcher James Piltch joins the podcast to talk about his new piece for Politico Magazine “Democrats Have a Values Problem. But Here’s How They Can Fix It." In his research, Piltch has found that Americans say they prize freedom over equity—but what does that really mean and how does it manifest itself? And how do Republicans and Democrats speak to the American people effectively when it comes to issues surrounding freedom and equity?

Jonathan Karl, ABC News’ Chief White House Correspondent and author of NYT Bestseller “Front Row at the Trump Shop,” reflects on the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, Donald Trump’s isolation in his last days as president, and on the incoming Biden administration and the challenges it faces on day one.

HeadCount is a nonpartisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. Executive Director Andy Bernstein joins the podcast to discuss HeadCount’s efforts in 2020 and beyond.

In this episode, Andrew is joined by David Miliband, the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. They discuss the IRC’s newly released 2021 Emergency Watchlist, and how nearly every watchlist country is facing the triple-threat of ongoing conflict, climate change, and the Covid-19 pandemic. David Miliband is the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee and the previous UK Foreign Secretary.

Politico’s chief political correspondent Tim Alberta joins the podcast to help answer why it is so hard to make sense of the 2020 election, what is at the root of America’s polarization and what happens now to the Republican and Democratic Parties respectively.

Legendary ESPN reporter Wright Thompson joins Andrew to discuss his new book, Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon and the Things That Last. In listening to this episode, you’ll learn that “Pappyland” is “barely a book about bourbon,” but rather, about so many other facets of American life. Among them: tradition and legacy, family and relationships, our public discourse and the power of brand. Plus, Wright Thompson’s analysis of the Whiskey Rebellion and its applications to our present day policy dialogue. This episode contains the use of explicit language.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Romina Bandura to discuss the challenges and factors that lead to the deforestation of the Amazon. Romina draws on her latest CSIS report, "Sustainable Infrastructure in the Amazon," to discuss the underlying causes of the deforestation and what initiatives countries need to take in order to pursue sustainable economic development and ensure that economic, environmental, and social benefits are achieved. Romina Bandura is a senior fellow with the Project on Prosperity and Development and the Project on U.S. Leadership in Development at CSIS.

In this episode, Andrew speaks with John Zogby and Jean-Paul (JP) Guilbault about a new poll that asked American adults and 16- to 17-year-olds how the national health and economic crises has impacted their lives and outlook. John and JP draw from the results of the Navigate360 and John Zogby Strategies report to discuss American feelings of personal safety and wellbeing in schools and the workplace, uncertainty and distrust of leadership and institutions, and insufficient training or communication for emergency situations. Please read here to find more poll results. John Zogby is founder and senior partner of John Zogby Strategies. He is known as a veteran pollster, opinion leader, and best-selling author. JP Guilbault is the CEO of Navigate360, which provides technology, education and services to support all safety initiatives of various communities, workplaces, schools, and more.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Dr. Michael J. Green to analyze global perspectives on U.S. China policy. Dr. Green draws on statistics found in a recent CSIS survey of the American public and thought leaders in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Listen in to hear how people view China in terms of trade, human rights, security, and more. To find the full survey and analysis, please click here. Dr. Michael J. Green is senior vice president for Asia and Japan Chair at CSIS; and director of Asian Studies at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.

In this episode, Andrew is joined by Bruce Mehlman to discuss all things on the 2020 presidential election. They reflect on the news of President Trump and other senior White House officials testing positive for Covid-19, the first presidential debate, as well as what could come of President Trump's Supreme Court nomination. Bruce P. Mehlman is the founder of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas, a bipartisan government relations firm that studies the implications of the policy landscape. You can find their new analysis on the 2020 elections here.

This is a crossover episode with the CSIS podcast The Reopening. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and global energy expert Daniel Yergin talks with Andrew and Scott about his latest book, The New Map, and the way technology revolutions in energy are influencing geopolitics, security, climate, and health. Daniel is vice-chairman of the research firm IHS Markit and has served on the Secretary of Energy’s advisory board under the last four presidential administrations.

In this episode, Andrew invites Rebecca Lissner, co-author of An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order. Rebecca draws on this new book to discuss why she believes the United States needs to re-imagine its grand strategy in order to face and overcome new 21st century challenges. Rebecca Lissner is a non-resident scholar for the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University; and an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College. She co-authored An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order with Mira Rapp-Hooper.

In this episode, Seth Jones is back to further analyze the increase of violence that has occurred across America in the last couple of weeks. He draws on more data from his CSIS brief, "The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States," to discuss extremist groups and their use of social media, what violence might occur after this November's presidential election, and the transnational spread of white supremacism. Dr. Seth Jones holds the Harold Brown Chair, is director of the Transnational Threats Project, and is a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

In this episode, Andrew invites Seth Jones to discuss what CSIS data reveals on the increasing terrorism problem in the U.S. Seth draws on his CSIS brief, "The Escalating Terrorism Problem in the United States," to unpack where the most significant threats are likely to come from and what factors will likely cause those threats to rise throughout the rest of 2020. Dr. Seth Jones holds the Harold Brown Chair, is director of the Transnational Threats Project, and is a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

In this episode, Andrew invites New York Times columnist Bret Stephens to discuss the concepts of one-state and two-state solutions for Israel, and what steps could be taken to have a peaceful resolution between Israelis and Palestinians.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's Take As Directed/Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, New York Times national security correspondent David Sanger discusses the NYT's recent investigative team’s efforts, which chronicled the momentous White House decisions taken in early April to step back and push lead responsibility on to the states.

In this episode, Andrew invites CSIS's Sarah Ladislaw and Nikos Tsafos to explain how a new U.S. international energy policy should look, and climate change’s role within it. They also discuss the inspiration behind and future of the new CSIS initiative, Climate Smart Foreign Policy. Sarah Ladislaw is senior vice president and director and senior fellow of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS. Nikos Tsafos is a senior fellow with the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's The Reopening, Robin Hood Foundation CEO Wes Moore, author of the new book “Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of An American City” discusses how changes in public policy must occur for poverty and racial inequality to end in America.

Eminent political scientist Dr. Michael Fauntroy of Howard University discusses systemic racism and inequality. He discusses whether we are witnessing a movement, an awakening or a fad; and what achieving meaningful results could look like in America’s quest for social justice.

In this episode, Georgetown Law professor and National Task Force on Election Crises member Joshua Geltzer discusses the challenges that Covid-19, disinformation campaigns, cyber-attacks and partisanship bring to the 2020 election.

In this crossover episode with CSIS's Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast, Tulane University professor and historian John Barry, author of the New York Times bestseller The Great Influenza, joins the podcast from his home in New Orleans’ French Quarter to discuss the lessons gleaned from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that speak to today’s coronavirus pandemic sweeping America and the world.

In this episode, CSIS Food Security Program director Caitlin Welsh discusses the state of meat production, supply chains and food security in the United States during the pandemic.

In this episode, CSIS’s Erol Yayboke joins Andrew to provide a window into the challenges that an almost complete halt to human mobility, due to Covid-19, will have on the United States and the rest of the world. Erol Yayboke is deputy director and senior fellow with the Project on U.S. Leadership in Development (USLD) and Project on Prosperity and Development (PPD) at CSIS.

In this episode, Andrew invites Laura Silver of the Pew Research Center to discuss a new study she co-authored, "U.S. Views of China Increasingly Negative Amid Coronavirus Outbreak." She expands on different findings of the study, including what the data says about differing opinions across partisan lines. Andrew then turns to David Sanger of The New York Times to further analyze U.S. feelings toward China, as well as President Trump's relationship with China.

In this hybrid episode of Truth of the Matter and the Impossible State, CSIS’ Victor Cha and Steve Morrison join Andrew Schwartz to discuss South Korea’s innovative systems for tracking Covid-19 and whether they can work for the United States.

In this episode, Andrew invites New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman. Maggie draws from one of her latest reports, "Trade Adviser Warned White House in January of Risks of a Pandemic," to discuss WH trade adviser Peter Navarro's memo to the Trump administration about the implications of Covid-19, dated back in January. She also details what it's like covering the WH during this pandemic and what areas of coverage currently take priority.

In this episode, Andrew is joined by CSIS's Victor Cha to discuss how South Korea is battling COVID-19 and the innovative strategies they took to prevent a wider spread of the virus. Victor also gives insight into what is and isn't known on how North Korea is responding to the global pandemic, noting their recent missile tests. Victor Cha is a senior adviser and the inaugural holder of the Korea Chair at CSIS. He is also a professor of government and holds the D.S. Song-KF Chair in the Department of Government and the School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown University.

In this episode, CSIS’s Steve Morrison and Stephanie Segal join Andrew Schwartz to get to the Truth of the Matter about the conflicting approaches to saving lives and saving the U.S. economy.

In this episode, Andrew invites Sarah Ladislaw and Kevin Book to give an update on oil markets as they face downward economic pressure. Sarah Ladislaw is senior vice president, director and Senior Fellow of the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at CSIS. Kevin Book is the managing director for Clear View Energy Partners LLC.

In this episode, Andrew invites Heather Conley, Stephanie Segal, and Steve Morrison to give an update on the global COVID-19 crisis. Heather Conley is senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and the Arctic and director of the Europe program at CSIS. Stephanie Segal is senior fellow of the Simon Chair in Political Economy. Steve Morrison is senior vice president and director of the Global Health Policy Center at CSIS.