CNA Talks: A National Security Podcast

Drones once an exclusive tool of the military, are spreading throughout our society. Hobbyists use them for photography, businesses are exploring them as a tool to make deliveries, and local and state governments are exploring how they could be used for public safety. But at the same time, we’ve seen the rise of another new paradigm, the threat of cyberattacks. How can we ensure that these technologies are implemented in ways that increase public safety while ensuring that they are safe and secure? In this episode, CNA analysts Steven Habicht, Adam Monsalve, and Addam Jordan discuss their award-winning research on unmanned aerial systems.   Steven Habicht is the director of CNA’s Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization. Addam Jordan is the Chief Scientist of CNA’s Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization. Adam Monsalve is a Lead Cybersecurity and Unmanned Aerial Systems Analyst. CNA's Center for Data Management and Analytics: https://www.cna.org/centers-and-divisions/ipr/dma CNA's Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization: https://www.cna.org/centers-and-divisions/ipr/esm  

Like many militaries, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) played a role in their COVID-19 relief efforts. What do these operations show us about the PLA’s domestic and international capabilities? In this episode of CNA Talks, Heidi Holz and Brian Waidelich discuss their recent report on this topic. Heidi Holz is a Senior Research Scientist in the CNA China Studies program. Her research interests include PRC maritime policies and activities, and Chinese military doctrine and operations. Brian Waidelich is a Research Scientist in CNA's Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Program. His research focuses on the People's Liberation Army (PLA) organization and Indo-Pacific maritime and space security issues. Rx PLA: The PLA Medical System’s Role in China’s Efforts to Fight COVID-19 CNA InDepth: Tonga Aid

As China seeks to expand its presence in the Arctic, it is important for observers to understand its motivations and how it fits into its larger global strategy. In this episode CNA analysts Heidi Holz and Andrew Taffer join John Stimpson, to discuss what the arctic means to Beijing, what it hopes to accomplish there and some unexpected obstacles to its objectives. Heidi Holz is a Senior Research Scientist in the CNA China Studies program. Her research interests include PRC maritime policies and activities, and Chinese military doctrine and operations. Andrew Taffer is a Research Scientist Indo-Pacific Security Affairs program.

China has consistently used foreign direct investment to increase its power and influence around the globe and has set its sights on the Arctic. These investments can be incredibly useful to smaller states but may also pose risks to their national security. In this episode of CNA Talks, Cornell Overfield and Rebecca Wolfson join John Stimpson to discuss China’s foreign direct investment in the Arctic States, what mechanisms are in place to protect their national security interests, and what the international community can do to expand these protections.  Cornell Overfield is an Associate Research Analyst with CNA’s Strategy, Policy and Analysis Program. Rebecca Wolfson is a Regulatory Analyst with CNA’s Office of the General Counsel.     Related Materials Arctic Prospecting: Measuring China’s Arctic Economic Footprint: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/arctic-prospecting.pdf Foreign Direct Investment Screening in the Arctic: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/foreign-direct-investment-screening-in-the-arctic.pdf Exploring the Relationship between China’s Investment in the Arctic and Its National Strategy: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/exploring-the-relationship-beween-chinas-arctic-investment-and-its-national-strategy.pdf Arctic Economic Security: Recommendations for Safeguarding Arctic Nations against China’s Economic Statecraft: https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/arctic-economic-security.pdf  

As climate change increases the frequency and impact of natural disasters, the consequences of these events are not felt evenly. While disasters are devastating for everyone, they are exponentially worse for already vulnerable populations. In this episode of CNA Talks, CNA’s Angie De Groot sits down with Jason Biermann and Jody Ferguson, emergency management professionals from the Pudget Sound region, in Washington. They discuss an innovative approach that priorities getting aid to their most vulnerable citizens, with the help of their private sector partners.   Jason M Biermann is the Director of the Snohomish County (WA) Department of Emergency Management. He has supported the response and recovery efforts to multiple disasters including the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States in January 2020. Jody Ferguson is the Director of Emergency Management for Pierce County Emergency Management, the second-largest county in Washington State and is the Sponsoring Agency Chief for Washington Task Force One, one of FEMA’s 28 urban search and rescue teams. Angie De Groot is a senior research scientist with CNA's Institute for Public Research. In 2019, she led the planning for a new emergency support function under the National Response Framework, created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to promote the stabilization of critical lifelines.

As new cases of COVID-19 continue to fall in the U.S., experts have begun to predict that the virus is shifting from a pandemic to an endemic. But while states all over the country have rolled back restrictions and mandates intended to slow the spread of the virus, it is something that we will continue to live with for the foreseeable future. In this episode of CNA Talks Eric Trabert and Yang Li, of CNA’s Center for Public Health Preparedness and Resilience, sit down to discuss what this new period of the pandemic means for the public, and what the work of public health practitioners might look like going forward. Eric Trabert is the Director of CNA’s Center for Public Health Preparedness and Resilience. He has evaluated the public health and medical responses to the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease epidemic and the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Yang Li is a Senior Research Scientist with CNA's Institute for Public Research. His research includes assessments of past real-world public health emergencies, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and he has authored publications jointly with researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Yang also represents CNA on the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium (GHSAC) as a Steering Committee member.

As militaries around the world begin to integrate more autonomous systems into their ranks, nations have been asking themselves how to ensure that these systems follow the laws of war. To start to answer this question, Don Boroughs sits down with Jason Stack from the Office of Naval Research and CNA analyst Mike Stumborg. They discuss Mike’s recent report which provides a checklist for ethical autonomy. Follow the link below to read the report. https://www.cna.org/CNA_files/PDF/Dimensions-of-Autonomous-Decision-making.pdf Jason Stack is a Director at the Office of Naval Research. He has led autonomy projects both at the Office of Naval Research and as the Chair of the Autonomous Systems Strategy Development Team. Mike Stumborg is Principal Research Scientist with CNA’s ​Strike and Air Warfare Program.

Last summer, following the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan, the Taliban seized control of the country. In the months since Afghanistan’s economy has been devested by the Taliban’s policies and by international sanctions against the country.    On this episode of CNA Talks Jon Schroden welcomes economists Torek Farhadi and Bill Byrd, to discuss this crisis and what can be done to alienate it.   Jonathan Schroden is the Director of CNA’s Countering Threats and Challenges Program. Torek Farhadi is a former senior advisor to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. He has discussed Afghan economic, security and humanitarian issues with the BBC, NPR and USA Today. Bill Byrd is a developmental economist with the U.S. Institute of Peace. He previously served as the World Bank’s country manager for Afghanistan.

In response to Russia’s buildup of troops on Ukraine’s border, the U.S. and its European partners have threatened crippling sanctions if Russia were to invade. As this situation evolves, another leader familiar with the cost of sanctions arrived in Russia on January 19: Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. On this episode of CNA Talks, Iran expert Mike Connell and Russia analyst Julian Waller discuss the consequences of that meeting and its likely geopolitical impact.   Listener Note: In this episode, Iran Nuclear Deal and JCPOA are used interchangeably. CNA’s Mike Connell is an expert on the armed forces of Iran and Persian Gulf Security issues. Julian Waller is an analyst with CNA’s Russia Studies program.  

China is one of the most powerful countries on the planet and its influence on the global economy is well known. However, many people may not realize that China has the largest distance water fishing fleet on the planet and is considered by non-governmental organizations to be the largest contributor to illegal fishing. In this episode, CNA analyst Ryan Loomis and Heidi Holz join John Stimpson to discuss the scale and impact of illegal fishing, the other illicit activities that accompany it, and the impact on the nations whose sovereignty is violated by these practices. Heidi Holz is a research scientist in CNA’s China Studies Division, specializing in PRC maritime policies and activities, particularly those related to the South China Sea. Ryan Loomis is a Research Analyst at CNA’s China Studies Division, specializing in PRC actors' behavior in the maritime domain, and PRC media responses to US operations and activities worldwide. CNA Report: Exposing the Gap Between PRC Rhetoric and Illicit Maritime Activity: https://www.cna.org/centers/cna/cip/china/prc-maritime