The Tea Leaves Podcast

In this first portion of a two-part Tea Leaves conversation, Kurt and Rich sit down with Jake Sullivan, former National Security Advisory to Vice President Joe Biden and former Policy Planning Director at the State Department. The three discuss Jake’s views on what a modern Democratic foreign policy strategy looks like, his involvement in the Iran nuclear deal, and his career beginnings.

In this episode of Tea Leaves, Kurt and Rich sit down with Kelly Magsamen, the Vice President for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress. The three discuss Kelly’s early interest in national security, her experience in the Pentagon and the National Security Council, and her work at the Center for American Progress.

In this episode of Tea Leaves, Kurt and Rich sit down with Ashley Tellis, the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior adviser at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former senior adviser to the ambassador at the U.S.

In this latest episode of Tea Leaves, Kurt and Rich sit down with Admiral Mike Mullen (ret.) to hear about the Admiral’s experiences in the military and his role as 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

As part of Tea Leaves’ mission to highlight rising young voices, Kurt sits down with Ali Wyne, a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, for a conversation about U.S.-China relations and America’s role in the world.

Ben Rhodes, the former deputy national security advisor for President Barack Obama, joins Kurt and Rich to discuss the challenges facing the United States in Asia. Ben shares insights from his experience planning President Obama’s foreign trips and cha...

Michael Morell, the former acting director of the Central Intelligence Agency, joins Kurt and Rich to discuss China, Pakistan, and the role of the U.S. intelligence community. Morell shares experiences from more than 30 years working at the CIA and ins...

In this special episode of Tea Leaves, Kurt and Rich sit down with Dr. Siddharth Mohandas, The Asia Group’s director of research, to discuss the firm’s groundbreaking Asia Power Trends report. The three talk about the changing role of the United States...

In this second episode in our two part series, Kurt and Rich continue their conversation with former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns. Together they discuss Burns’ new book, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its...

In this first episode in a two part series, Kurt and Rich sit down with former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns to discuss the changing role of U.S. diplomacy, Burns’ newest book, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case f...