"In this episode, Ms. Flournoy joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion of her career, the challenges of civilian leadership at the Pentagon, the military-industrial complex, and military politicization..." Download the full podcast here: Full Podcast

“'China is not going to take a position on North Korea over a fit of pique with Donald Trump, but at the same time, it is not unlike the Chinese to say, "Why the hell should we accommodate you or take risks in service of a U.S. priority when you’re doing this to us on one of our core interests?"' said Daniel Russel, who served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the Obama administration..." Read [...]

"Mehr news agency, quoting an 'informed source,' said it was unlikely that Rouhani would announce a full withdrawal from the agreement. In the past, Iran has threatened to limit access for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s monitors. "Another possible option, said Dennis A. Ross, who participated in U.S. negotiations in the Middle East through a number of administrations, would be to enrich a small amount of uranium to 20 percent — more than five times the level allowable under the agreement [...]

"Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan says the repositioning of U.S. forces is a response to 'indications of a credible threat by Iranian regime forces;' reaction from Michael Singh, former senior director at the National Security Council." Watch the full interview here: Full Interview

"In a distributed construct, the drones spread out across an area while the manned ship passively receives the data at a distance. But it’s a challenge to accomplish that in environments where an adversary such as China or Russia actively jams communications signals. "However, it’s a challenge the Navy must address, said Bob Work, the former deputy secretary of defense who championed unmanned technologies under the Obama administration. “'This is like carrier aviation in the interwar period,' Work said. 'This is [...]