How Are Shifting Priorities Impacting National Security in America?
Most Americans would agree that the United States should be protected, but from whom … and how? Dr. Donell Harvin, the former Chief of Homeland Security and Intelligence for the District of Columbia, says the U.S. is taking its eye off the ball - focusing its large domestic intelligence apparatus in a direction that is politically expedient, but not in line with the most serious threats.
If you liked this episode, check out these links:
DOGE Layoffs and the Counterintelligence Threats They Pose | SpyCast
Spy Chat with Chris Costa | Special Guest: Colin Clarke
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And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can reach us by E-mail at SpyCast@Spymuseum.org.
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29:18
Sharing Intelligence: Challenges between US and Ukraine
After Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. rushed to create a secret center that set targets for the Ukrainians to destroy. But the counteroffensive of 2023 failed to achieve its goals. So, what went wrong? New York Times reporter Adam Entous spent more than a year reporting on this story. He joins SpyCast host Sasha Ingber to talk about what was going on behind the scenes, and the consequences that were felt acutely on the battlefield.
Read Adam’s full report here.
The International Spy Museum has launched its first ever digital exhibition: Open Source: Ukraine & The Intelligence Revolution. Give it a visit to learn more about the role of publicly accessible information in intelligence collection and analysis.
If you liked this episode, check out these links:
SpyCast Live: Escalation: Tracking the US-Ukraine Relationship
An Evening with General David H. Petraeus
SpyCast - “Zelensky, Ukraine & Intelligence” – with Simon Shuster
Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts.
Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/
And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can reach us by E-mail at SpyCast@Spymuseum.org.
This show is brought to you from Goat Rodeo, Airwave, and the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.
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34:56
Stories From the President's Daily Brief
Conflict has been escalating between two nuclear powers–India and Pakistan. It started in April, after India blamed Pakistan for supporting militants who carried out a massacre in Kashmir. President Trump offered to help defuse the tensions.Throughout history, India and Pakistan’s hostility has been documented in the President's Daily Brief, a highly classified rundown of threats facing the United States. Former CIA officer David Priess, author of The President's Book of Secrets, tells us how the PDB mattered in relations between India and Pakistan.
To learn more, check out David’s book, the President's Book of Secrets, the Untold Story of Intelligence briefings to America's Presidents.
If you liked this episode, check out these links:
Spy Chat with Chris Costa | Special Guest: Beth Sanner
The President's Book of Secrets - Understanding the President’s Daily Brief (PDB) with David Priess
Hot Topics: Intelligence Challenges in an Election Year
Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts.
Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/
And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can reach us by E-mail at SpyCast@Spymuseum.org.
This show is brought to you from Goat Rodeo, Airwave, and the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.
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25:34
The Minions: Putin's Expendable Spies
They were a spy cell like no other — operating from quiet British suburbs, hailing from Bulgaria, and working on behalf of Russia. Their handler dubbed them “The Minions,” and their plots stretched across Europe and spanned honeytraps, abductions, and murder. At the time of this recording, six have been convicted and await sentencing. To parse out the case, we spoke with Gordon Corera, a British author and co-host of The Rest is Classified podcast.
Check out The Rest is Classified here, or wherever you get your podcasts.
If you liked this episode, check out these links:
Spy Chat with Chris Costa | Special Guest: Paul Whelan
Russian Assassinations in the UK: Inside Three Notorious Cases with Historian Nigel West
Curator's Corner: Kevin P. Riehle on Russian Intelligence
Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts.
Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/
And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can reach us by E-mail at SpyCast@Spymuseum.org.
This show is brought to you from Goat Rodeo, Airwave, and the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.
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32:36
Escalation: Tracking the US-Ukraine Relationship
The United States and Ukraine have had a long, complicated history that has been defined by just as much partnership and collaboration as hesitation and disagreement. This dynamic is laid bare in the 7-part podcast series ‘Escalation,’ produced by our partners at Goat Rodeo, with the national security publication Lawfare. In April 2025, The International Spy Museum hosted a panel discussion on the Washington-Kyiv relationship moderated by SpyCast host Sasha Ingber, and featuring Ukrainian journalist Anastasiia Lapatina, Lawfare’s Managing Editor Tyler McBrien, Retired Brigadier General Kipling Kahler, and former National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne.
To listen to the whole Escalation series, visit:
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/podcasts-multimedia/podcast/escalation
Prefer to watch your podcasts? Find us on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@IntlSpyMuseum/podcasts.
Subscribe to Sasha's Substack, HUMINT, to get more intelligence stories: https://sashaingber.substack.com/
And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can reach us by E-mail at SpyCast@Spymuseum.org.
This show is brought to you from Goat Rodeo, Airwave, and the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.
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SpyCast, the official podcast of the International Spy Museum, is a journey into the shadows of international espionage. Each week, host Sasha Ingber brings you the latest insights and intriguing tales from spies, secret agents, and covert communicators, with a focus on how this secret world reaches us all in our everyday lives. Tune in to discover the critical role intelligence has played throughout history and today. Brought to you from Airwave, Goat Rodeo, and the International Spy Museum.
The Spy Museum does not endorse, approve, or support the opinions stated by guest speakers. Statements made by speakers do not represent the position or opinion of the International Spy Museum.
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