Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Sirens: A Bombshell production

On this mini-episode, we talk with Erin Sikorsky about her new book “Climate Change on the Battlefield.” Listen in as we discuss how climate change affects military operations and military readiness, which countries are doing things right, and how the US could address systemic risks differently.

Sirens (should Sirens just be a book pod?) starts with the best question: if you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? On the cocktail party circuit, we had to discuss the Great Gathering of Gobsmacked GOFOs, plus how the US gave up AI norms at UNGA and changes to social security. Amid Dumpster Fires aplenty, we dig into chaotic reforms to H1B visa and the consequences to the economy and national security, as well as the nuclear change to senate nominations process. In Warning Signs, we welcome former US Chief Data Scientist Denice Ross for a wonderful discussion on the federal data system and democratic accountability. And Gong Show? We had no choice: Robert Redford. It's the fall that's gonna kill you. 

Americans want a government that is agile, responsive, and able to deliver basic services while also solving complex challenges like climate change. Yet the climate community tends to over-focus on questions of climate policy design rather than questions of climate policy implementation — resulting in ambitious efforts like the Inflation Reduction Act that held great promise on paper but ran into roadblocks in the real world. In this live taping, host Loren DeJonge Schulman is joined by special guests Carol Browner, former U.S. EPA Administrator, Jordan Diamond, Executive Director of the Environmental Law Institute, and Nancy Metayer Bowen, Vice Mayor of Coral Springs, FL, to discuss why government capacity is the overlooked engine of climate progress — and explore how civic leaders, lawyers, and public innovators are tackling procedural bottlenecks, modernizing outdated systems, and strengthening the connective tissue between federal, state, and local actors to unlock faster and more durable climate outcomes.  

On the Sirens cocktail circuit this week is (no surprise) renaming the Department of Defense, the deporting US industrial strategy (Korean workers), and two-steps-back, one-step forward White House announcements on AI skills while cutting education funds. Among the week's dumpster fires: does the US even have an appropriations process anymore? and, how to talk about what we're seeing in political violence? Finally, events in in Venezuela and Qatar raise questions on if the law of war is just law of personalist performances. Also: Katabasis!

Sirens starts the school year bright eyed in It's a Drill, highlighting new Deputy Secretary of Defense powers in requirements, the new Chief Design Officer at the White House, and whether those trade taxes are legal. In Dumpster Fires, we explore the redistricting arms race set off by Texas and how it fits into the evolution of democracy in the US, along with how it feels to own 10% of Intel (any takers for a share of State Capitalism?). In Warning Signs, we are delighted (horrified) to welcome Dr. Lindsay Cohn to dig into when and how state governors resist federal deployments of the National Guard in their state, and what this portends for the role of the guard in the future.

Sirens gives you a mini-episode close to our hearts: what are the do's and, very importantly, don'ts of running a great hiring process as a hiring manager. There's horror stories, yes, but also great advice for new leaders and old hands.

Sirens returns with an action packed episode. Loren, Erin, and Radha cover China's foray into green tech (plus grantmaking politcization and Pentagon reorganizations) in it's a drill. Closer to home, the ladies discuss how DC is (not) welcoming national guardsmen from a variety of states and talk the history and context of DC Home Rule, plus what is up with the new report from the Department of Energy on climate change. In warning signs, Dr. Elizabeth Saunders joins to share in the bafflement over the blitz of Russia, Ukraine and everyone else summits this week. The ladies close out with a gong show on TV (Buffy reboot!) they're excited to (re)start watching.

In this mini-episode,  join Radha and Erin's full interview with amazing guest and expert Emily Bensen on all things tariffs (aka trade taxes). They talk through the theory of the case for setting these tariffs, review the successful and not-so-successful negotiations, and look at where the economy and the American people likely to see the impact of these tariffs in the weeks and months ahead

There's just too much going on in our sixty second It's a Drill exercise, but Radha, Erin, and Loren manage to highlight Taiwan dithering, NIH funding shenanigans, and small set of AI Action Plan details. In bigger, can't miss Dumpster Fires, they dive into what drove the shift in public reactions to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and what it may mean, as well as what happens when a president fires the BLS commissioner on jobs day. Radha and Erin welcome our second guest, Emily Benson, for a long Warning Signs exploration of our favorite repeat topic, trade taxes, and the Trump Administration's theory of change. Finally - being meta - we chat our favorite podcasts. 

The ladies bring you a mini-episode answering a question you never thought to ask: what makes for a good political appointee? They discuss why we have political appointees, how they can be useful (or not), and how they can work with career personnell. Listen to hear the good, the bad, and the not so ugly.

In this mini-episode of Sirens, Radha and Loren continue the conversation with (first! special!) guest Cristin Dorgelo, former senior advisor at the Office of Management and budget, detailing the longer tail of of impacts the American people and the federal workforce can anticipate from the current chaos of RIFs, and how this might be a chance to reimagine the federal talent management process.

Sirens is back with episode four, and we’ve added our first guest and a virtual gong! Erin, Radha and Loren race through a drill on the NDAA, TSA security theatrics, the Fed Chair, and air conditioning (?!), followed by a true dumpster fire (the new Schedule G) and more of a dumpster framework (abundance: what is it actually?). Our first guest, former OMB senior advisor Cristin Dorgelo, goes deep on the context, process and consequences of Reductions in Force. And we disclose our favorite TikToks/Reels moments!      

Sirens is back with a mini-episode dissecting the Defense Department's budget request. Listen as Radha and Erin review the process and substance of DoD's behemoth budget - what's new, what's not, and what we're watching! And of course, because it's our valentine - how does this process compare to what usually happens.      

Sirens is back with episode 3! On the cocktail circuit, the Erin, Radha and Loren chat the on and off again relationship with Ukraine munitions, Social Security Performance Data, and the ever-revolving door. Bigger picture in Warning Signs, they dive deep into the death of USAID (long live USAID?) and the crazy competition for AI talent. And Erin gives us an incredible lesson on the history and efficacy of political protest. The Gong Show closes with 4th of July traditions.

This is Sirens, a new podcast from the hosts of Bombshell. This week Loren, Erin, and Radha recast military movies with Muppets and kick off "it's a drill" - cocktail chatters on recent events like the commissioning of tech leaders and stalling of the big beautiful bill. Diving deeper with "Dumpster Fires," they talk concerns on domestic use of military forces and promise and perils of AI in public sector. With "Warning Signs" they dig into slow burn crises and long term hazards, with this week (no surprise) on Iran. How did we get here and is it a big deal? Closing out, a Gong Show round highlights favorite summer traditions! And of course, don't forget issues may lure men to their death (but in a good way way!). (edited)     

This is Sirens, a new podcast from the hosts of bombshell. This week Loren, Erin, and Radha are experimenting with shorter form content to dive deep on matters large and small in between thelonger shows. Our first one explores summer reading philosophy, and you'll come away with a dozen ideas for your beach library. Come for the cozy or delicious novels, stay for the new series you should try. There's also some nonfiction if that's you thing!

This is Sirens, a new series, brought to you by the Ladies of Bombshell - Loren DeJonge Schulman, Radha Iyengar Plumb, and Erin Simpson. In this episode, our hosts talk about why they are launching a new podcast, reveal what horrible things they have discovered at the bottom of their work bags, and talk about issues that may lure men to their death (but in a good way!). They discuss what's stuck in their craw from the big beautiful bill to changes in foreign student rules to drama in the national security council. Then, they deep dive on key issues like why is there a race on AI, the complicated relationship between Silicon Valley and DC, and what we can learn from the governance approach in the first few months of the Trump Administration. And finally, pop culture.    

In the tradition of British dramas, Erin, Loren, and Radha reunite for a special holiday episode. The ladies flip the script, answering a range of questions from the first ever Manniversary guest Kai Ryssdal. They then return to some of their greatest hits including transition process, civ-mil issues, and personnel policy replete with process details and holiday movie analogies. Stay through the end to hear pop culture recommendations and special appearances from many former guests with answers to their favorite Bombshell questions.

For their 100th episode, Erin, Loren and Radha discuss new issues, like the escalating conflict at the Ethiopia-Eritrea border, old issues, like HVT targeting of al-Qaeda leadership, and, of course, continuing trade issues with China. They then turn to a discussion of all the White House mayhem (Ok, not all! No one has that kind of time), including lack of legal authority for Department of Homeland Security leadership to make decisions about DACA, the Defense Department “purge,” and the complicated, not-quite-yet-started transition of the Biden administration. The team ties a bow on this episode with a discussion of holiday movies and other pop culture … and that's a wrap!   Links Cara Anna, “,” AP News, November 15, 2020 “,” BBC News, November 15, 2020 “Peter Mwai, “,” BBC News, November 11, 2020 David Porter, “,” AP News, November 14, 2020

Loren, Erin, and Radha are joined by their most frequent guest (Kori Schake) and a new guest (Katrina Mulligan) to discuss foreign policy issues we'll need to worry about regardless of the election outcome! After a lively discussion, the ladies go over foreign policy issues that have been over-discussed, under-discussed, and the processes that will always be their valentines. They wrap up with pop culture, self-care, and indulgences to help get you through election day and beyond!

Loren, Radha, and Erin reconvene to explore many of Bombshell's greatest hits - Brexit, troop levels in Afghanistan, and arms control. With a dash of ethnic conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh thrown in for flavor. The ladies then drop a Bombshell of their own: this fair podcast will be wrapping up in 2020. It's the final countdown! 

Erin, Radha and Loren use COVID-19 as a frame to ask what this crazy time has brought to our attention, what it’s distracted is from, what it’s possibly helped, and how it’s shaped our own skills and interests.  And shopping.   Links “,” Reuters, October 01, 2020 “,” The Guardian, October 05, 2020 Todd Lopez, “,” US Department of Defense, September 29, 2020    

This week, Mira Rapp-Hooper and Rebecca Lissner return to the show to discuss American grand strategy, female partnerships, and their fabulous new book, . The ladies then revisit the administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East - with notes on the UAE-Israel accord and Iran sanctions drama. Also, Tiktok! Soothing pop-culture ties a bow on it.

Loren, Radha, and Erin invite Camille Stewart, non-resident fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center, to discuss all the cyber threats and how individual behavior uniquely connects with our ability to mitigate or respond to them. In keeping up foreign relations, we provide short updates on Alexei Navalny, Belarus, and Brexit alongside a brief farewell to Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. We'd like to remind you all that Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq are still a thing, and after all the takes have been shared on Trump's views on service members, we talk about the role of the press in this story.

Radha, Erin, and Loren host Nina Jancowicz, disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center and author of , to talk about the ongoing protests in Belarus and what we should read into the alleged poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. In keeping up foreign relations, the ladies explore the latest U.S. attempt to use the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA or “Iran nuclear deal”) — an agreement the United States ghosted on — to reinstate sanctions on Iran, and in White House mayhem they assess how the recent Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report on the 2016 election. Plus, process is our Valentine, but process can be used for evil ends, as we learned about the 2018 process to pursue family separation as an official U.S. policy. Unsurprisingly, we need a lot of pop culture to handle all this news.

This week Erin and Radha regroup while Loren takes a much-deserved vacation. They do a quick review on COVID-19 with the good (100 days no new cases in New Zealand), the bad (cases in Brazil, India, and the United States continue to grow), and the ugly (long-term economic consequences in the United States, India, and Brazil). They also dig into the recent explosion and protests in Lebanon and then go deep on the recent executive order impacting TikTok and WeChat. After reminding us that Afghanistan is still a thing, they talk about the lack of accurate and comprehensive briefings for POTUS and the mayhem that ensues, including quotes (and misquotes) by Robert O'brien (yes, he's the national security advisor!). To calm us all down, they then talk about pop culture from baseball movies (The Rookie, Bull Durham) to Arthurian legend-ish TV shows (Cursed).   Links Abbie Cheeseman, “,” NBC News, August 09, 2020 Elian Peltier, “,” New York Times, August 05, 2020 Dennis Wagner and George Petras, “,” USA Today, August 06, 2020 Nick Perry, “,” ABC7NY, August 09, 2020 Derek Hawkins, Marisa Iati, and Jacqueline Dupree, “,” Washington Post, August 09, 2020 “,” BBC, August 09, 2020 “,” Times of India, August 09, 2020 Elaine Chen, “,” Wall Street Journal, July 30, 2020 Michael Crescione, “,” Healthline, August 06, 2020 Swati Bhat, “,” Reuters, August 09, 2020 Ryan Browne and Jamie Crawford, “,” CNN, August 09, 2020 Brad Heath, “,” Reuters, August 08, 2020 Jim Sciutto, “,” CNN, August 06, 2020 Justine Coleman, “,” The Hill, August 06, 2020 Philip Bump, “,” Washington Post, August 04, 2020 Geoffrey Gertz, “” Brookings, August 07, 2020 Robert Chesney, “,” Lawfare, August 07, 2020 Chaim Gartenberg, “” The Verge, August 08, 2020 “,” New York Times, August 06, 2020

This week the band is back together with Loren, Radha, and Erin once again all in the same time zone. They dive into Mike Pompeo's China speech, global COVID trends, and the world-famous Missile Technology Control Regime. Also, Congress approved the NDAA, and they have lots of thoughts on DHS "troops" engaging protesters in Portland. Stick around for pop-culture dissection of the Guinevere Deception!   Links “,” US Department of State, July 23, 2020 Thomas Wright, “,” Atlantic, July 25, 2020 Richard Haass, “,” Washington Post, July 25, 2020 “,” Arms Control Association, July 2017 Aaron Mehta and Valerie Insinna, “,” Defense One, July 25, 2020 Amanda Macias, “,” CNBC, July 24, 2020 Rachel S. Cohen, “,” Air Force Magazine, July 23, 2020 Connor O’Brien, “,” Politico, July 23, 2020 Jacob Nagel and Mark Dubowitz, “,” Newsweek, July 26, 2020 Philip H. Gordon, “” War on the Rocks, July 21, 2020 Pablo Gutierrez and Sean Clarke, “” Guardian, July 28, 2020 Pablo Gutierrez and Ashley Kirk, “,” Guardian, June 25, 2020 “,” New York Times, July 23, 2020

With Radha and Erin on the road, Loren invites Ashely Feng of the Center for a New American Security, Kaleigh Thomas of CNAS, Kara Frederick of CNAS, Hijab Shah of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Meghan McGee of Georgetown University for a Bombshell takeover to discuss foreign policy issues with big generational shifts.

In this episode of Bombshell, the ladies  welcome Madelyn Creedon, former deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, to discuss the state of arms control today. The crew also discusses other foreign relations goings on: North Korea won’t call South Korea on their cell phone, late at night, or otherwise; India-China drama continues; and there’s much ado in Venezuela. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan before November and you may have noticed something’s up in civil-military relations.

In this week’s episode, while Loren cleans out her office, Radha and Erin dig into an array of China-related topics: Huawei! India! Hong Kong! And last, but certainly not least, the World Health Organization. The ladies then turn to White House/American mayhem and try to be analytical while lamenting ongoing violence against black Americans and the potential deployment of U.S. troops in American cities. And finally, an awkward transition to a discussion of pop-culture yields some gems.   Links Huawei Scott Bade, “,” Tech Crunch, May 30, 2020 Emily Feng, “,” NPR, May 28, 2020 India Border Jeffrey Gettleman and Steven Lee Myers, “,” New York Times, May 30, 2020 Hong Kong Sergei Klebnikov, “,” Forbes, May 29, 2020 “,” BBC News, May 30, 2020 Kenneth Rapoza, “,” Forbes, May 29, 2020 Jack Caporal, “” CSIS, October 17, 2019 WHO Brianna Ehley and Alice Miranda Ollstein, “,” Politico, May 29, 2020 “,” BBC News, May 30, 2020 Protests in US Dan Lamothe, “,” Washington Post, May 30, 2020 Samuel Sinyangwe, , October 5, 2019 Jennifer Doleac, , May 31, 2020 Megan Ming Francis, , May 30, 2020 Audrey McNamara, “ ,” CBS News, May 30, 2020 “,” CNBC, May 30, 2020 George Floyd Kate Shellnutt, “,” Chrsitanity Today, May 28, 2020

This week Erin, Loren, and Radha regroup for a "what did I miss" session to discuss the events of the last few weeks. Starting with the bizarre coup that wasn't in Venezuela, the ladies go on to talk about the Iran not-so-snap-back sanctions — including the Babysitter's Club analogy that you’ll need in order to understand why everyone is so annoyed — and the potentially pending restart of the China trade war. They then turn to the dwindling number of inspector generals and remind everyone why process is their valentine. They close out this episode with a discussion of books that will help you to learn if you feel like, cope when you need help, and escape when you want to.

Jung Pak, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, joins Bombshell to discuss her fascinating and timely new book: . Radha, Erin, and Loren remind listeners that Afghanistan is still a thing even if the U.S. government would prefer it not to be. Also, did you know it’s possible to restart a trade war amid the pandemic? Or that the United States is a participant in the JCPOA? Neither did we. Plus, pop culture!

This week the ladies are back with a normal-ish episode, complete with special guest Nora Bensahel! She helps them dive deep on COVID-19 impacts on the defense budget. From there, they explore possible changes to the “global order,” Loren offers a tutorial on Hungary and Israel, and Radha schools us on trade issues. The ladies wrap up with a discussion of the most pressing issue of the day - haircuts. And issue a heartfelt socially distant hug to the Iyengar family.   Links “,” BBC, April 17, 2020 Jessie Yeung, “” CNN, April 16, 2020 Thomas Y. Choi, Dale Rogers, Bindiya Vakil, “,” Harvard Business Review, March 27, 2020 David Barno and Nora Bensahel, “,” War on the Rocks, March 31, 2020 Thomas Wright, “,” Atlantic, April 04, 2020 Daniel W. Drezner, “,”Washington Post, March 30, 2020 Thomas Wright and Kurt M. Campbell, “,” Atlantic, April 13, 2020

This week Loren and Erin talk their way through all the coronavirus feelings: fear, hope, gratitude, some minor policy questions, and the pop culture that's giving us life. Stay home, be safe, wash your hands.

Kathleen Hicks, director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and all-around superhero, joins Loren, Radha, and Erin for an all-COVID-19 episode, starting with potential contributions by the Department of Defense to addressing this crisis. The ladies explore different angles of the global pandemic, including how it's impacting other ongoing international events, the economy, and domestic politics. Thanks be they also spend a lot of time on pop culture to soothe the soul.

This week Erin, Loren, and Radha reunite after a midwinter break to talk pandemics. They then turn to the Afghanistan “peace” deal, Israeli elections (third time’s the charm?), and recent developments in Syria. As always, there’s plenty of White House mayhem with a new chief of staff, and vacancies as far as the eye can see in Pentagon civilian leadership. Thankfully, Hilary Mantel books and Love is Blind provide a pop culture escape to soothe (or at least distract) the soul.   Links Coronavirus Matthew Herper, “,” Stat, March 6, 2020 “,” The Economist, February 2020 Afghanistan Diaa Hadid and Scott Neuman, “,” NPR Morning Edition, February 21, 2020 Shereen Qazi, “” Aljazeera, March 9, 2020 Kathy Gilsinan, “,” Atlantic, February 29, 2020 David E. Sanger, Eric Schmitt, and Thomas Gibbons-Neff, “,” New York Times, March 8, 2020 Susannah George, “,” Washington Post, March 7, 2020 Courtney Kube, Ken Dilanian, and Dan De Luce, “,” NBC New, March 6, 2020 Elizabeth Threlkeld, “,” Lawfare, March 8, 2020 Pop Culture Randy Shilts, , (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007) , PBS Syria Jen Kirby, “” Vox, March 6, 2020 “,” BBC, March 7, 2020 OSD Lara Seligman and Daniel Lippman, “,” Politico, March 6, 2020

This week the ladies return to regular programming and try to catch up after one of the more crazy weeks in recent political memory. They start off with the Coronavirus crisis before returning to an old-standby, Brexit. They also provide some color commentary on the recent Irish elections. And how could they forget the new Middle East Peace Plan! That’s before they get to impeachment, NSC firings, and White House Mayhem. Stick around and hear them gush about Little Women.   Links Coronavirus “,” New York Times, February 9, 2020 Colleen Shalby, “” Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2020 Brexit Dharshini David, “,” BBC, February 9, 2020 “,” BBC, January 27, 2020 Irish Elections Rory Carroll, “,” Guardian, February 8, 2020 Middle East Peace Peter Beaumont, “,” Guardian, January 28, 2020 Irish Election Riley Beggin, “,” Vox, February 9, 2020 “,” Journal, February 09, 2020 Travel Ban “,” Wall Street Journal, February 07, 2020 “,” New York Times, January 31, 2020 Pop Culture Marlon and Jake Read Dead People,

Erin, Radha and Loren welcome three special guests for their annual "manniversary" episode: Hayes Brown from Buzzfeed, Tommy Vietor of Pod Save the World, and Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe join them to talk about communicating national security in this crazy world.

This week Bombshell welcomes Suzanne Maloney of Brookings to chat all things Iran. And because we love our listeners so much, we extended the discussion for the whole show to consider legality, effectiveness, process, and what happens next. Also, Megxit. Duh.   Links Jonathan Marcus, “” BBC, January 3, 2020 Agnes Callamard, “,” Just Security, January 8, 2020 Loveday Morris, “,” Washington Post, January 10, 2020 Brian Naylor, “,” NPR, January 10, 2020 Rick Noack, Armand Emamdjomeh, and Joe Fox, “,” Washington Post, January 10, 2020 Ian Talley and Isabel Coles, “,” Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2020 Robert Jervis, “,” War on the Rocks, January 9, 2020 Suzanne Maloney, “,” Politico, January 11, 2020

Erin, Radha, and Loren mull over 2019, muse about 2020, and debate Rise of the Skywalker. We will be with you again.

This week Radha and Erin lead a special live episode from the NatSec Girl Squad Conference. They are joined by Dana Stroul, Kim Kagan, and Mara Karlin who all recently participated in the Congressionally mandated Syria Study Group. Listen in as the ladies discuss Syria policy, study group process, and answer audience questions!   Links "," USIP, September 24, 2019

This week Radha, Erin, and Loren reunite to drink eggnog (or not!) and talk about events in London, from interrupting violent attacks with narwhal tusks to interrupting NATO ministerials with middle school-esque drama. The ladies then turn to protests in the Middle East, predictions on China trade deals, and Hong Kong legislation. Rounding it out is a lively discussion of all the mayhem that ensued when Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer (not that Richard Spencer) resigned. After that, the ladies have a much-needed pop culture discussion on all the holiday movies they're looking forward to watching.   Links London Terrorist Attack Catherine Kim, "," Vox, December 1, 2019 Peter Bergen, "," CNN, November 30, 2019 Iran Hannah Brown, "," Vox, December 2, 2019 Farnaz Fassihi and Rick Gladstone, "," New York Times, November 26, 2019 China/Hong Kong Yen Nee Lee, "," CNBC, November 28, 2019 Gina Heeb, "," Markets Insider, November 29, 2019 Michael Bociurkiw, "," CNN, November 29, 2019 Keith Bradsher, Javier C. Hernandez, and Alexandra Stevenson, "," New York Times, November 28, 2019 NATO "," North Atlantic Treaty Organization, June 27, 2018 Steven Erlanger, "," New York Times, November 28, 2019

This week Loren, Erin, and Radha are joined by the peerless Mira Rapp-Hooper. Taking a break from stalking her perfect oat milk, Mira walks the ladies through alliances and shifting demands with Japan and Korea. The ladies do a whirlwind review of Hong Kong, Bolivia, auto tariffs, and pardons. After 5 words (plus margin of error) on impeachment stories of note, Erin and Radha (yup Radha) discuss the new Star Wars series where to Loren's dismay Radha declares her love of Star Wars puppets (especially those teddy bears).   Links Mira Rapp-Hooper, , (Harvard University Press, 2020) Asia Simon Denyer and Min Joo Kim, "," Washington Post, November 4, 2019 Phil Stewart and Joyce Lee, "," Reuters, November 15, 209=19 Maggie Shum, "," Washington Post, November 14, 2019 Anna Kam, Casey Quackenbush, and Ryan Ho Kilpatrick, "," Washington Post, November 11, 2019 Bolivia  "" BBC, November 13, 2019 Natasha Bennett, "" Washington Post, November 15, 2019 Santiago Anria and Jennifer Cyr, "," Washington Post, October 30, 2019 Trade Ben White and Doug Palmer, "," Politico, November 11, 2019 David Shepardson, "," Reuters, November 15, 2019 Camila Domonoske and Avie Schneider, "," NPR, May 17, 2019 Reuters, "," New York Times, November 11, 2019 Pardons Dave Philipps, "," New York Times, November 16, 2019  

This week the ladies of Bombshell go deep on the Syria raid and the “value” of high-value targeting, before turning their attention to popular protests in Iraq and Lebanon. Of course, no episode would be complete without a Brexit update! Radha regales us with CFIUS tales and we all lament the attacks on LTC Vindman. Also, will the NDAA ever pass?   Links Tamara Qiblawi, "," CNN, November 2, 2019 Sara Khairat, "" Aljazeera, November 1, 2019 Alissa Rubin, "," New York Times, November 1, 2019 Jen Kirby, "," Vox, October 29, 2019 Mark Landler and Stephen Castle, "," New York Times, November 2, 2019 Leo Shane III and Joe Gould, "" Defense News, October 30, 2019 John M. Donnelly, "," Roll Call, November 1, 2019 Joe Gould, "," Defense News, October 25, 2019 Greg Roumeliotis, Yingzhi Yang, Echo Wang, and Alexandra Alper, "," Reuters, November 1, 2019

Melissa Dalton from CSIS joins Loren, Radha, and Erin to offer a thorough, if morose, update on the U.S. military withdrawal from northern Syria and where that leaves Syrian Kurds. Bombshell returns to the topic of the United Kingdom which....might have a Brexit deal? The ladies also dive into the implications of recent NBA/China drama and what's going on with the impeachment inquiry, and amazingly have a disagreement about political speech by uniformed and retired military.   Links Cameron Abadi, "" Foreign Policy, October 17, 2019 Benjamin Mueller and Matina Stevis-Gridneff, "" New York Times, October 17, 2019 Adam Taylor, "," Washington Post, October 17, 2019

Bombshell takes a step back to offer some context to the whirlwind of Ukraine and related investigations: what’s with Ukraine’s political trajectory, why is it a magnet for crises involving external actors these days, and how is it being impacted by today’s scandals?  In Trump’s trade negotiations with China, how have elections become intertwined with those discussions? Turning to the White House, President Trump has had multiple crises emerge from calls with foreign leaders - how does his process shape those results. The NSC staff is wrapped up with today’s whistleblower investigation - who are they, and how can their role be politicized? In reacting to these events, President Trump’s language has taken an authoritarian tinge—what does political science tell us about his actions? And lastly, the president has suggested violence may erupt if he’s pushed out of office - how should we think about the military’s role in such scenarios?   Links Ukraine Philip Bump and Aaron Blake, "," Washington Post, October 4, 2019 Bryan Bender and Wesley Morgan, "," Politico, September 30, 2019 "," BBC, September 10, 2019 Alex Ward, "," Vox, October 4, 2019 Impeachment legal Counsel Advice Radha Iyengar, , October 2, 2019 Trump Leader Calls Carol D. Leonnig, Shane Harris, and Josh Dawsey, "," Washington Post, October 4, 2019 Authoritarianism Barbara Geddes, Joseph Wright, and Erica Frantz, , (American Political Science Association, June 2014) Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, "," Guardian, January 21, 2018 Ari Berman, "" New York Times, April 13, 2018 Jennifer Mercieca, "," Just Security, May 1, 2019

This week Bombshell is blessed by the return of Tamara Cofman Wittes to help everyone understand Iran’s possible motives in the strike on an Aramco facility and what Saudi Arabia might do next. And as a bonus she sticks around to dive into Israeli elections. Then Erin, Radha, and Loren take a deep, nerve-calming breath to dive into the current White House Mayhem: the ouster of John Bolton, the arrival of Robert O’Brien, and the whistleblower-Ukraine monstrosity.  Also, Erin saw Moulin Rouge and you should too, if you can can can.   Links Aramco Attacks Stephen Kalin, "," Reuters, September 21, 2019 Lara Seligman and Elias Groll, "," Foreign Policy, September 20, 2019 Suzanne Maloney, "," Washington Post, September 18, 2019 Eric Schmitt, Julian E. Barnes, and David D. Kirkpatrick, "," New York Times, September 17, 2019 Israeli Elections Jeremy Sharon, "," Jerusalem Post, September 23, 2019 Oren Libermann, "," CNN, September 22, 2019 Aaron Heller, "," ABC News, September 22, 2019 New National Security Advisor John Hudson and John Wagner, "," Washington Post, September 18, 2019 John Gans, "," Politico, September 19, 2019

This week Erin, Loren, and Radha are joined by War on the Rock's new editor-in-chief Becky Zimmerman to talk about the talks that never were with the Taliban and catch up on the situation in Afghanistan more generally. The ladies then turn to the chaos in the UK, ongoing protests in Hong Kong, the release of classified information by the President (again!), MILCON spending for the border wall, and the Mattis book. Whew! After all that, the dive into pop culture with book and podcast rec's for all.   Links Afghanistan Erin Banco and Asawin Suebsaeng, "," Daily Beast, August 30, 2019 Mujib Mashal, "," New York Times, September 5, 2019 Jennifer Jacobs, Nick Wadhams, and Eltaf Najafizada, "," Bloomberg, September 7, 2019 Mujib Mashal, "," New Yorkt Times, September 8, 2019 "," TOLO News, September 6, 2019 Brexit "," Globe and Mail, September 5, 2019 Amanda Sloat, "," Lawfare, September 6, 2019 "," BBC News, September 8, 2019 Yemen "," NPR, September 4, 2019 Hong Kong Mike Ives, Tiffany May, and Elaine Yu, "," New York Times, September 7, 2019 Saudi/UAE Aziz El Yaakoubi, David Evans, Ros Russell, and Tuqa Khalid, "," Reuters, September 8, 2019 Iran Eric Adams, "," Popular Mechanics, September 6, 2019 MILCON Chantal Da Silva, "," Newsweek, September 5, 2019

Tori Whiting of the Heritage Foundation joins Radha in geeking out over trade chaos and the potential for a recession -Bombshell's very first guest economist. Erin, Radha, and Loren catch up on the impact of over a century of South Korea-Japan tensions and offer a small ray of light in the latest political agreement news out of post-Bashir Sudan before turning to the G7, that meeting of world leaders. And to Loren and Erin's infinite delight, we devote all of pop culture to the military career of Logan Echolls and the new Disney-Star Wars releases.   Links Korea-Japan Grace Shao, "," CNBC, August 23, 2019 David Brown, "," Politico, August 23, 2019 Choe Sang-Hun, "," New York Times, November 21, 2018 Isabel Reynolds and Jihye Lee, "," Bloomberg, August 22, 2019 Climate "," BBC, August 24, 2019 Naomi Oreskes, Michael Oppenheimer, and Dale Jamieson, "," Scientific American, August 19, 2019 Dan Vergano, "," Buzz Feed News, August 22, 2019 Andrew Freedman and Jason Samenow, "," Washington Post, August 3, 2019 G7 "," CNN, August 25, 2019 Andrew Freedman, "," Washington Post, August 19, 2019 Amanda Macias, "," CNBC, August 25, 2019 Michael Collins and John Fritze, "," USA Today, August 25, 2019 Sudan Jen Kirby, "," Vox, August 19, 2019 "," Aljazeera, August 18, 2019 Jamal Mahjoub, "," New York Times, August 22, 2019 Pompeo Nick Wadhams and Jennifer Jacobs, "," Bloomberg, August 13, 2019 Maggie Haberman and Lara Jakes, "," New York Times, August 21, 2019 Pop Culture Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Margaret Wilson, and Christina Tucker, ", NPR, August 9, 2019 Fandom, , August 23, 2019 Jennifer Ouellette, "," ARS Technica, August 24, 2019 James Hibberd, "," Entertainment Weekly, August 24, 2019 "" Adam Serwer, December 24, 2015

The great Meg Guliford joins Erin and Radha for this week's episode of Bombshell, while Loren enjoys a much deserved vacay. The ladies take a tour of world hotspots with a discussion of North Korean missile tests, the Kashmir crack down, and ongoing protests in Hong Kong. Radha schools us all on currency manipulation before we turn to Director of National Intelligence drama. The show wouldn't be complete without an exploration of domestic terrorism and white supremacist violence — alongside a heartfelt celebration of Toni Morrison   Links North Korea Dagyum Ji, "," NK News, August 11, 2019 Josh Smith, David Brunnstrom, "," Reuters, August 12, 2019 Kashmir Sameer Yasir, Susasini Raj, and Jeffrey Gettleman,"," New York Times, August 10, 2019 Atul Singh and Manu Sharma, "" Fair Observer, August 10, 2019 Ashan I. Butt, "," Washington Post, August 7, 2019 Hong Kong Alice Fung and Yanan Wang, "," AP News, August 11, 2019 Michael C. Davis and Victoria Tin-bor Hui, "" Washington Post, August 10, 2019 "," Channel News Asia, August 8, 2019 Andrew Thomas, "" Aljazeera, August 7, 2019  Ho-Fung Hung, Thomas Kellogg, Antony Dapiran, and Victoria Tin-Bor Hui, "" China File, August 7, 2019 DNI Zachary Cohen, "," CNN, August 9, 2019 Alison Durkee, " ," Vanity Fair, August 2, 2019 Amy Zegart, "," Foreign Affairs, August 9, 2019 Terrorism Brian Pascus, "," CBS News, August 10, 2019 Charlie Savage, "" New York Times, August 7, 2019 Trade Scott Lanman and Enda Curran, "," Washington Post, August 7, 2019 Doug Palmer, "," Politico, August 9, 2019 Paul Krugman, "," New York Times, August 9, 2019 Shawn Donnan and Jenny Leonard, "," Bloomberg, August 9, 2019 Pop Culture Yohana Desta, "," Vanity Fair, September 26, 2018