Former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell and former CIA Chief Operating Officer Andy Makridis interview top national security leaders -- intelligence officers,...
Michael talks with Chris Johnson, head of China Strategies Group, about Beijing’s vulnerabilities and its uneasy anticipation of Donald Trump’s return to the White House. They explore the high-stakes rivalry between the U.S. and China, including economic tensions, Xi Jinping’s grip on power, and the geopolitical flashpoints that could redefine the global order.
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40:09
Inside a Dangerous Alliance: Sara Harmouch
Michael speaks with terrorism expert and H9 Defense Founder and CEO Sara Harmouch who explores the surprising alliance between Iran and Al Qaeda, tracing their decades-long relationship and warning about the growing security threats posed by their current cooperation.
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41:56
The Antarctic 'Chessboard': Bill Muntean
Andy speaks with former State Department senior advisor Bill Muntean about how the vast, frozen continent of Antarctica has become an unexpected theater in great power competition. Bill discusses the delicate balance maintained by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty and how surprise inspections - which he personally leads - help verify Russian and Chinese compliance. As climate change and resource scarcity reshape geopolitics, they explore whether Antarctica's longstanding peace can endure amid rising tensions between global powers.
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37:00
National Security's AI Wunderkind: Alex Wang
Andy talks with Alex Wang, the founder and CEO of Scale AI, to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and its implications for national security. Forbes says Alex, at age 25, is the world's youngest self-made billionaire. He describes the three foundational pillars of AI—data, compute, and algorithms—and how advancements in each have driven recent progress. Alex discusses how AI advancement could enable adversaries to pose new threats to US national security, and the guardrails the technology may need.
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40:38
Inside the Digital Battlefield: Dmitri Alperovitch
Andy talks with Dmitri Alperovitch, one of the brilliant minds behind CrowdStrike and a leading voice in cybersecurity. He's also author of the new book, World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the Twenty-First Century. In this episode, Dmitri explores the digital threats reshaping national security - from sophisticated state-sponsored hacks to the U.S.-China tech rivalry. Dmitri shares candid insights on America's cyber readiness, why Taiwan matters more than ever, and how AI is transforming the battlefield.
Former CIA Acting Director Michael Morell and former CIA Chief Operating Officer Andy Makridis interview top national security leaders -- intelligence officers, military leaders, and policymakers -- on the most critical security challenges of our time. Their interviews offer insights into the world's most pressing problems as well as the effectiveness of the U.S. policy response. They also delve into the biographies and careers of the individuals who have devoted their lives to protecting our nation.
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