The Burn Bag Podcast

For the third year in a row, The Burn Bag hosted Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer (@ianbremmer) to discuss his Top Risks 2023 Report -- a forecast of the top geopolitical risks most likely to play out over the coming year. A'ndre Gonawela spoke with Ian at length about the report's #1 risk, "Rogue Russia", and why Ian believes that it is the most dangerous risk he has forecast ever in his time doing the Top Risk reports. Ian also provides his thoughts on why his #2 risk, China's Xi Jinping, was able to resist the blowback of his Zero-COVID policies and emerge as the strongest Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. We dip into some conversation on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, which the report terms as 'weapons of mass disruption,' and how they might impact democracy detrimentally. Next, Ian discusses his optimism that inflation may be easing, while giving a foreboding prediction that inevitable fuel price surges will significantly impact the developing world's economic burdens. We also talk about why U.S. political dysfunction is ranked lower on this year's list as opposed to the high rankings afforded in 2021 and 2022, why Generation Z is the #9 risk, and what Ian means when he asserts that 'Water Stress' is the tenth highest risk.

In this episode, A'ndre and Ryan talk to Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), about maintaining the integrity of international sports. Travis, who has spent two decades at the USADA, traces the history of doping in sports and how the rules for clean competition have developed over time. Having oversaw the investigation into Lance Armstrong, Travis break down why anti-doping regulations are so important and why holding athletes, teams, and countries accountable advances the rule of law. We then delve into the Russian doping scandal and the close relationship between sports and politics. Despite international agreements banning doping, countries such as Russia seek to win at any cost. The conversation concludes with Travis's persecutive on the future and how high-level athletes are using their platforms to advance anti-doping and anti-corruption efforts. 

In this week's episode, A'ndre, Ryan and David dive into some of the biggest stories of 2023. With President Biden's classified documents scandal heating up, they discuss the political and legal impact, as well as larger issues related to classification. The conversation then turns to the shocking resignation announcement by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. A'ndre continues with an overview of the controversies surrounding a potential Saudi Arabia acquisition of WWE. The episode closes out with an update on the War in Ukraine and why the World Economic Forum is mired by conspiracies. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

Welcome to Risky Business, a limited series in partnership with Trenchcoat Advisors, a risk advisory firm. In an unpredictable, complex, and chaotic world, the business risks are ever-present. To help navigate the challenges ahead, this series delves into the intersection of business and national security — from influence operations and sabotage to hostage diplomacy and investment security, we’re bringing exclusive conversations with leading experts to better understand and anticipate risk!In episode two, the Burn Bag's Ryan Rosenthal and Trenchcoat's Holden Triplett speak with Ari Redbord about the Web3 domain of risk. Ari helps us understand what the blockchain is and the various use cases for the private and public sectors. The conversation then moves to whether digital currencies are national security threats and how governments around the world have responded. Ari outlines the regulatory approaches (or lack thereof), and how existing laws and regulations are being used to combat financial crime. We also discuss how state and non-state actors use and abuse cryptocurrencies and the blockchain, including North Korea and hacking groups, and whether sanctions are effective against on-chain transactions. The episode rounds out with Ari's advice on how to stay safe, noting the benefits of a public ledger that can be used by law enforcement and the private sector to investigate malign actors and enforce compliance.  Ari is a Head of Legal and Government Affairs at TRM Labs. Prior to joining TRM, he was the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary and the Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Former DIU Director Mike Brown discusses the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and its unique role in the Department of Defense. Topics include DIU's use of commercial enterprise to accelerate acquisition, challenges facing defense innovation, enabling access to longer-term contracts for smaller businesses and startups, perceived accessibility issues in partnering with DoD, and the state of defense innovation today.

Welcome to Risky Business, a limited series in partnership with Trenchcoat Advisors, a risk advisory firm. In an unpredictable, complex, and chaotic world, the business risks are ever-present. To help navigate the challenges ahead, this series delves into the intersection of business and national security — from influence operations and sabotage to hostage diplomacy and investment security, we’re bringing exclusive conversations with leading experts to better understand and anticipate risk!In episode one, the Burn Bag's A'ndre Gonawela and Trenchcoat's Bill Priestap speak with Jessie Liu about her career in national security and the business risks surrounding data. Jesse takes us through a conversation focusing on how the U.S. Government thinks about data regulations, in addition to data protections for U.S. persons and businesses, including the role CFIUS (The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States) has to play. We also discuss public-private partnerships,  how the private sector works with government on data protection, and whether the Department of Justice and FBI are more reactive than proactive on this issue. The conversation concludes with Jesse's perspective on how her private practice role is contributing to the national security mission. Jessie is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom LLP. From 2017-20, Jessie served as the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Prior to joining the U.S. attorney’s office, Jessie was deputy general counsel for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. 

In this episode, Ryan talks to Tom Feddo, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security, about the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Tom, who led the interagency body from 2018-2021, discusses the history of CFIUS and its power to review foreign investments. With increasing scrutiny on cross-border transactions, Tom sheds light on the CFIUS review process,  shares his perspective on the TikTok case and, assesses whether Twitter may be subject to the body's jurisdiction. The conversation concludes with an overview of the proposed outbound review legislation in Congress and what the future may hold for U.S. investment screening. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this episode are those of the hosts. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any host’s employer.

On December 3rd, Burn Bag co-host Ryan Rosenthal was in Simi Valley, CA covering the 2022 edition of the Reagan National Defense Forum, one of the nation's largest gatherings of the defense community.Bucky Butow talks to Ryan about the ability of the DoD to rapidly and effectively innovate, collaborating with the private sector to develop new technologies, and the emerging areas that DIU views as particularly important.

Welcome to Risky Business, a limited series in partnership with Trenchcoat Advisors, a risk advisory firm. In an unpredictable, complex, and chaotic world, the business risks are ever-present. To help navigate the challenges ahead, this series delves into the intersection of business and national security — from influence operations and sabotage to hostage diplomacy and investment security, we’re bringing exclusive conversations with leading experts to better understand and anticipate risk!In this introductory episode, A’ndre and Ryan are joined by Trenchcoat Founders Bill Priestap and Holden Triplett to discuss their perspectives on the collision of business and national security and learn what’s in store for our Risky Business series.Stay tuned for Episode One!

On December 3rd, Burn Bag co-host Ryan Rosenthal comes to us from Simi Valley, CA,  covering the 2022 edition of the Reagan National Defense Forum, one of the nation's largest gatherings of the defense community.Secretary Wormuth talks to Ryan about what lessons the Army can take away from Russia's war in Ukraine, whether she is concerned about Congressional support for Ukraine, and her plan to address the Army's recruiting challenges.