Fault Lines

This week, Les, Scott, Andy, and Carmen discuss the possible use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the draconian lockdowns happening in Shanghai. Would the U.S. become more involved in Ukraine if Russia use a tactical nuclear weapon? Is Biden’s administration usage of strategic ambiguity different from previous administrations? How do the lockdowns in Shanghai impact Xi’s upcoming election in the fall? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Public Diplomacy has played a critical role in telling the truth and countering propaganda in today's global environment. As we look at Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, what can America learn from President Zelensky's amazing leadership? How can America balance its different means of communication through radio and social media? What can the State Department do to ensure the truth is being told to populations in nations whose governments suppress the truth? Join us as we discuss these questions and more with Heather Nauert, advisory board member of BGR Group, former journalist with Fox News and ABC News, as well as former State Department spokesperson and acting Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy at the State Department.As a special bonus, Heather shared with us the work she is doing to help get people out of Afghanistan who are at risk. If you would like to contribute, please check out Moral Compass Federation of America which is part of the Special Operations Association of America.Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Les, Sarah, Harold, and Matthew discuss the most recent atrocities revealed in Ukraine, the warning from Biden’s administration on a potential cyber war, and the leaked agreement between Solomon Islands and China. Will the recent uncovered atrocities force China to take a stance against Russia’s invasion? How can the U.S. increase its cyber posture as a nation? Why is the Solomon Islands important to the U.S.? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent years, the far-fetched spaceship battles of sci-fi have become a much more likely reality. This week, we're joined by Collin Lee, Director, Frontiers at General Dynamics Mission Systems and VSI Visiting Fellow for a deep dive on the militarization of space.How do space and national security intersect? How has the US prepared for when space inevitably becomes a battlefield? Are we in a new space race? These questions and more are addressed on this week’s episode of Fault Lines.Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe for more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Les, Carmen, Rob, and Megan continue their discussion on the ever developing situation on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Biden administration’s executive order on crypto. How is the war going for President Putin? Does the Russian people look favorable on President Putin? Does the executive order signify the importance of crypto? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines!Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. Note: This episode was recorded at 1:00 PM ET on March 21, 2022. The National Security Institute acknowledges that the situation in Ukraine is rapidly changing and that some of the conversation held may no longer be accurate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crypto is having, as this week's guest puts it, a "moment of legitimacy". We're joined by Juan Zarate, Global Co-Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at K2 Integrity, Chair of the Center on Economic and Financial Power at FDD, and former Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Adviser for Combating Terrorism for a deep dive on cryptocurrency.What role does crypto play in Russia's war on Ukraine? Could Russia's increased use of cryptocurrencies pose a threat to financial stability? What can Congress be doing? These questions and more are addressed on this week’s episode of Fault Lines.Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe for more.For further reading on crypto, K2 Integrity, where Juan is the Global Co-Managing Partner and Chief Strategy Officer, recently published a policy alert, found here, on the risk global markets may face as Russian actors use virtual currencies to bypass sanctions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Les, Martha, Sarah, and Matt continues to discuss the ever-developing Russian invasion of Ukraine. How have Ukrainians thwarted President’s Putin invasion? Should a no-fly zone be instituted? What are the implications of the ban on Russian oil imports? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines!   Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe for more. Note: This episode was recorded at 1:00 PM ET on March 8, 2022. The National Security Institute acknowledges that the situation is rapidly changing and that some of the conversation held may no longer be accurate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Against the backdrop of the continued Russian invasion of Ukraine, Megan Stifel, NSI Visiting Fellow and Chief Strategy Officer at the Institute for Security and Technology, addresses the cyberattacks that have played a role in Russia’s efforts. How has Ukraine fended off the cyber attacks? Has collaboration between the U.S. and Ukraine been successful? We then pivot to last week’s news that the Department of Justice is ending the China Initiative. How frequent were the cases of false convictions and racial discrimination that drove the DoJ to end the initiative? Does ending the initiative change the work the DoJ is doing? Will the DoJ’s focus shift given the violence in Ukraine? These questions and more are addressed on this week’s episode of Fault Lines.Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe for more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this special episode of Fault Lines, host Lester Munson discusses Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine with guests Scott Cullinane, Executive Director of the US-Europe Alliance, Martha Miller, former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, and Sarah Stewart, Executive Director of the Silverado Policy Accelerator.Our episode begins with an assessment of the situation in Ukraine, followed by a discussion on the response from the West to Russia's aggression, the sanctions placed by the Biden administration, and the implications the invasion could mean for European neighbors to Ukraine.If you like what we're doing, be sure to like, rate, and subscribe to Fault Lines. If you have ideas for future episodes, be sure to email us at nsi@gmu.edu or tweet us at @MasonNatSec.Note: This episode was recorded at 9:00am ET on February 25th, 2022. The National Security Institute acknowledges that the situation is rapidly changing and that some of the conversation held may no longer be accurate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Les, Mario, Carmen, and Rob discuss the ever developing Russia-Ukraine crisis and China’s rocket debris that will be hitting the moon. Is President Vladimir Putin invading Ukraine because of legitimate strategic concerns, toxic masculinity or something else? Is NATO unified in their response to Russia? Why is it important to be aware of the amount of debris in space? These questions and more are answered on the latest episode of Fault Lines! Like this episode? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe for more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.