USSC Briefing Room

From the expiration of the New START Treaty to the war with Iran, headlines about nuclear risks are consistently in the news at the moment.How significant is the expiration of the New START Treaty? How have nuclear risks changed since the war with Iran began? What are the major nuclear threats facing the world at the moment? Dr Daniel Salisbury joined the USSC Briefing Room to discuss these issues. Daniel is Senior Fellow for Nuclear Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the author of Secrecy, Public Relations and the British Nuclear Debate: How the UK Government Learned to Talk about the Bomb, 1970-1983. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

In this episode USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Research Jared Mondschein sat down with USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on Friday, 6 March 2026 to discuss the latest on the war with Iran. What led the United States to attack Iran now? How does this compare to the Iraq War and actions of prior administrations? How are US allies responding? Mike draws on his experience in the White House during the Iraq War and Jared addresses broader Middle East dynamics to unpack this issue and what it means for US allies and partners.

The Trump administration recently completed its AUKUS review, including a directive from President Trump to proceed “full steam ahead” on AUKUS Pillar I. But even after securing the Trump stamp of approval, there has been comparatively little information on how the review handled Pillar II and experts have raised concerns about the growing scope of advanced capabilities it now includes. Is AUKUS Pillar II fit for purpose? Which advanced capabilities can deliver the best return on investment in the near term? Is AUKUS Pillar II a “solution in need of a problem”? USSC Non-Resident Fellow Sophie Mayo and USSC Research Fellow Tom Corben joined USSC Director of Impact and Engagement Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss these questions. Both experts have recently published on AUKUS Pillar II:Impact and effort: A menu of AI and autonomy options for AUKUS Pillar II – Sophie MayoAUKUS Pillar II under pressure – Tom Corben Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Are we seeing a rupture or a transition in 2026? USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Dr Lavina Lee sat down with host Mari Koeck to discuss what the geopolitical developments in Iran, Venezuela and Greenland mean for alliances and middle powers. Can NATO survive the Greenland pressure? What is the end game with Venezuela and Iran? How should middle powers like Canada and Australia respond? Tune in to hear Mike and Lavina’s candid assessments of US foreign intervention and the response by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

India’s relationships with key international partners changed significantly in 2025. Following the tariff standoff with the United States, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in close meetings with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Summit. And an Indian Defence Minister visited Australia for the first time in 12 years in October.What is driving these changes in India’s international relationships? Will they have a long-term impact? Where is the future of India-US and India-Australia relationships headed?USSC Maitri Fellow Rushali Saha joined Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss these questions. Rushali is an independent researcher and analyst with Horizon Intelligence and she has previously worked with several New Delhi-based think tanks.Read Rushali’s new report: Securing the Indian Ocean: Elevating the India-Australia Maritime partnership.Rushali’s Maitri Fellowship was supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s career spanned 40 years, nearly half of which was at sea. She was the first woman to serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and only the second woman to ever be promoted to four-star admiral in the US Navy. When visiting Australia in November, Admiral Franchetti (ret’d) joined Research Fellow Tom Corben on the podcast to discuss: What has changed in the global security environment from the Cold War to now? What do the changes over the past year indicate about the future direction of the US military? What will be the biggest challenge facing the US military over the next 40 years?

Recently we have seen cracks forming within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. We are seeing Republican members of Congress push back on issues, like the Epstein files or President Trump’s approach to Ukraine, in the most significant way since he took office in January. What is causing these rifts within the MAGA movement? Is MAGA whatever President Trump says it is? How are these tensions likely to play out?Non-Resident Senior Fellow Lester Munson joined Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck to discuss these questions. Lester has held multiple positions on Capitol Hill and is based in DC, at the epicentre of these MAGA tensions.

The United States Studies Centre (USSC) has just released our annual Allies and partners poll. The USSC polled publics in Australia, the United States, Japan and, for the first time this year, India. This means there was polling data to compare public opinion across all four Quad countries.Where do the Quad countries stand on Trump, security and the future of the Indo-Pacific? What are the biggest similarities and differences between the Quad countries on foreign policy? How has Trump 2.0 changed US relationships with these countries? How supportive are the four publics of militarising the Quad or sending forces to Taiwan in the event of an invasion?To discuss these questions, polling authors USSC Senior Research Associates Samuel Garrett and Ava Kalinauskas joined Mari Koeck on the podcast.Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

On 2 April 2025, President Trump announced sweeping tariffs on most countries around the globe as part of “Liberation Day” but is the president allowed to impose tariffs like that? This is the question the US Supreme Court is considering at the moment.What were the arguments for and against the presidential power to unilaterally tariff? How are the justices likely to decide? How could their decision impact one of the president’s signature policies?To consider these questions, we invited ABC’s Planet America Co-Host Chas Licciardello back on the podcast with Director of Impact and Engagement Mari Koeck to take a deep dive into the Supreme Court tariffs case.If you like a deep dive on Supreme Court issues, you may want to listen to these other episodes with Chas:Deep dive into Trump’s Supreme Court immunity hearing with Chas LicciardelloTrump’s immune. It is so ordered – featuring Chas LicciardelloCheck out PEP with Chas and Dr Dave here:YouTubeSpotifyAppleSubscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

As China’s rapid military modernisation reshapes the regional security landscape, deterrence has become the cornerstone of US and allied strategies in the Indo-Pacific. Former US Marine Corps Commandant General David Berger (ret’d) joined the USSC Briefing Room, reflecting on the bold reforms that transformed the Marine Corps and the growing importance of interoperability with allies like Australia for deterrence.How do these changes strengthen deterrence? What role does cultural understanding play in preventing conflict? And what does the future hold for US readiness in a contested region?

Recently, a gunman killed four people and wounded eight at a Latter Day Saints (or Mormon) church in Michigan. President Trump described this as “yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America” – but there are distinct differences between this and other high-profile shootings. How was this similar to or different from other attacks on religious institutions in America? What are the motivations behind these attacks? Is there a throughline between the assassination of Charlie Kirk and an attack on an LDS church in Michigan? Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy at the United States Studies Centre David Smith joined the podcast to discuss these questions. He is one of Australia’s leading experts on religious persecution in America and is the author of Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States. Related content:The Michigan church shooting sits within a long history of hatred against Mormons in AmericaUSSC Briefing Room | Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States

President Trump wants to make American shipbuilding great again. China has significant dominance in shipbuilding with 34% of all ships on water being made in China and 57% of ships under construction being made in China. How do systems around finance and infrastructure influence global power dynamics? How much of a concern is increasing US shipbuilding? What role does Australia play in the shipbuilding ecosystem? 2025 USSC-American Australian Association Fellow Dr Mary Bridges joined USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck to discuss these issues. Dr Bridges is currently an Ernest May Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center and she’s the author of the book Dollars and Dominion: U.S. Bankers and the Making of a Superpower. Her research looks at the intersection of US foreign relations and business history. While in Australia, she conducted research on shipbuilding and infrastructure in both the United States and Australia. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

This week Lisa Curtis joins the podcast. She is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Program for a New American Security and she served in the US Government for more than 20 years across the White House National Security Council, CIA, State Department and Capitol Hill. What has changed in America at home and abroad from a year ago? Are US alliances fit for purpose? Where can US allies go from here? These were key questions that Lisa Curtis looked at in her panel discussions at Sydney International Strategy Forum 2025. We took a deeper dive into these topics on the podcast. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

When Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited China this year, his visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding got some of the most media attention.How did pandas become China’s national treasure and how are they used in diplomacy? Could trade wars or heightened competition with China lead to the removal of pandas from the United States or other countries? What role will this “national treasure” play in future international relations?Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy at USSC David Smith and Senior Lecturer in Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney Minglu Chen joined the podcast to discuss their recent paper in The Pacific Review titled “Panda diplomacy revisited: state interests and public emotions.”Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Legislation is hard to pass in the United States, but tends to have a longer-lasting impact than executive orders, which can be easily overturned. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act put climate change at the forefront of his legislative agenda. Now, with President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, we see the first major legislative action of Trump 2.0, particularly related to climate change and energy. How “Trump proof” was Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act? How does the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act change the dial on energy and climate policy? What will be the lasting energy legacy of Trump 2.0? Director of Research Jared Mondschein sat down with USSC Non-Resident Fellow Lachlan Carey to discuss these issues. Lachlan is a manger at RMI, where he leads work on US regional economic development through clean energy investment. He is also the author of the Trump 2.0 chapter “Climate and energy policies: Executing the Inflation Reduction Act.” Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat

Six years after his death in prison, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continues to make headlines due to his longtime friendship with President Trump. While most news cycles in the Trump-era have a flashbang approach, this one has remarkable staying power and the legal logistics are key to understanding the story. What was the legal case against Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell? How have the FBI and DOJ handled questions around this case under Trump? Why is there a strong possibility Maxwell could win her Supreme Court appeal?USSC Honorary Associate Dr Harry Melkonian joined the podcast to discuss these issues. Dr Melkonian is a legal educator and has extensive experience in practicing law in both the United States and Australia. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat