Podcasts by Bombshell
This is Bombshell, a bi-weekly podcast coming to you from Washington insiders to dissect today’s foreign policy crises and tomorrow’s security challenges. We’ll talk military strategy, White House mayhem, and the best cocktails known to (wo)man. Brought to you by War on the Rocks.
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Then One Foggy Christmas Eve from 2020-12-15T16:10:45
In the tradition of British dramas, Erin, Loren, and Radha reunite for a special holiday episode. The ladies flip the script, answering a range of questions from the first ever Manniversary gues...
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One for the Road from 2020-11-17T17:21:01
For their 100th episode, Erin, Loren and Radha discuss new issues, like the escalating conflict at the Ethiopia-Eritrea border, old issues, like HVT targeting of al-Listen
Anticipation Is Making Me Late from 2020-11-03T15:16:43
Loren, Erin, and Radha are joined by their most frequent guest (Kori Schake) and a new guest (Katrina Mulligan) to discuss foreign policy issues we'll need to worry about regardless of the elect...
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Final Countdown from 2020-10-20T16:06:25
Loren, Radha, and Erin reconvene to explore many of Bombshell's greatest hits - Brexit, troop levels in Afghanistan, and arms control. With a dash of ethnic conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh thrown i...
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Karma Puh-leeze from 2020-10-07T14:43:17
Erin, Radha and Loren use COVID-19 as a frame to ask what this crazy time has brought to our attention, what it’s distracted is from, what it’s possibly helped, and how it’s shaped our own skill...
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When There are Nine from 2020-09-22T14:45:01
This week, Mira Rapp-Hooper and Rebecca Lissner return to the show to discuss American grand strategy, female partnerships, and their fabulous new book, Listen
I'm a Loser, Baby from 2020-09-09T13:49:36
Loren, Radha, and Erin invite Camille Stewart, non-resident fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center, to discuss all the cyber threats and how individual behavior uniquely connects with our ability to ...
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It's Fun to Stay in the JCPOA from 2020-08-25T17:16
Radha, Erin, and Loren host Nina Jancowicz, disinformation fellow at the Wilson Center and author of How to...
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Tik Tok Ya Don’t Stop from 2020-08-11T15:18:12
This week Erin and Radha regroup while Loren takes a much-deserved vacation. They do a quick review on COVID-19 with the good (100 days no new cases in New Zealand), the bad (cases in Brazil, In...
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Simple Joys of Maidenhood from 2020-07-28T16:02:25
This week the band is back together with Loren, Radha, and Erin once again all in the same time zone. They dive into Mike Pompeo's China speech, global COVID trends, and the world-famous Missile...
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People Try to Put Us Down from 2020-07-14T16:11:17
With Radha and Erin on the road, Loren invites Ashely Feng of the Center for a New American Security, Kaleigh Thomas of CNAS, Kara Frederick of CNAS, Hijab Shah of the...
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Revenge of Cartography from 2020-06-16T15:29:05
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China, All the Way to New York from 2020-06-02T17:37:20
In this week’s episode, while Loren cleans out her office, Radha and Erin dig into an array of China-related topics: Huawei! India! Hong Kong! And last, but certainly not least, the World Health...
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I'm On A Boat from 2020-05-19T15:46:33
This week Erin, Loren, and Radha regroup for a "what did I miss" session to discuss the events of the last few weeks. Starting with the bizarre coup that wasn't in Venezuela, the ladies go on to...
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Burning Out Our Fuse Up Here Alone from 2020-05-05T15:43:34
Jung Pak, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, joins Bombshell to discuss her fascinating and timely new book: Listen
I Do My Hair Toss, Check My Emails from 2020-04-21T14:44:26
This week the ladies are back with a normal-ish episode, complete with special guest Nora Bensahel! She helps them dive deep on COVID-19 impacts on the defense budget. From there, they explore p...
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The One Where We Talk About Our Feelings from 2020-04-07T15:28:31
This week Loren and Erin talk their way through all the coronavirus feelings: fear, hope, gratitude, some minor policy questions, and the pop culture that's giving us life. Stay home, be safe, w...
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This is Fine from 2020-03-24T15:06:47
Kathleen Hicks, director of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and all-around superhero, joins Loren, Radha, and Erin for an all-COVID-19 ep...
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Don't Ask, Don't Get from 2020-03-10T15:12:45
This week Erin, Loren, and Radha reunite after a midwinter break to talk pandemics. They then turn to the Afghanistan “peace” deal, Israeli elections (third time’s the charm?), and recent develo...
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Let Us Be Elegant or Die from 2020-02-11T14:39:04
This week the ladies return to regular programming and try to catch up after one of the more crazy weeks in recent political memory. They start off with the Coronavirus crisis before returning t...
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Man, I Feel Like a Woman from 2020-01-28T15:20:54
Erin, Radha and Loren welcome three special guests for their annual "manniversary" episode: Hayes Brown from Buzzfeed, Tommy Vietor of Pod Save the World, and Maj. Gen. Patrick...
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Tigers on a Gold Leash from 2020-01-14T15:10:34
This week Bombshell welcomes Suzanne Maloney of Brookings to chat all things Iran. And because we love our listeners so much, we extended the discussion for the whole show to consider legality, ...
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Nothing Changes on New Year’s Day from 2019-12-31T13:23:13
Erin, Radha, and Loren mull over 2019, muse about 2020, and debate Rise of the Skywalker. We will be with you again.
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Bombshell Live! From NatSec Girl Squad from 2019-12-17T13:41:11
This week Radha and Erin lead a special live episode from the NatSec Girl Squad Conference. They are joined by Dana Stroul, Kim Kagan, and Mara Karlin who all recently participated in the Congre...
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Thank You Mr. Narwhal from 2019-12-03T15:17:45
This week Radha, Erin, and Loren reunite to drink eggnog (or not!) and talk about events in London, from interrupting violent attacks with narwhal tusks to interrupting NATO ministerials with mi...
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With Your Shield or On It from 2019-11-19T15:17:13
This week Loren, Erin, and Radha are joined by the peerless Mira Rapp-Hooper. Taking a break from stalking her perfect oat milk, Mira walks the ladies through alliances and shifting demands with...
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It's (Barely) Daylight in America from 2019-11-05T15:21:15
This week the ladies of Bombshell go deep on the Syria raid and the “value” of high-value targeting, before turning their attention to popular protests in Iraq and Lebanon. Of course, no episode...
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To Sleep, Perchance to Dream from 2019-10-22T15:42:39
Melissa Dalton from CSIS joins Loren, Radha, and Erin to offer a thorough, if morose, update on the U.S. military withdrawal from northern Syria and where that leaves Syrian Kurds. Bombshell ret...
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Context is All from 2019-10-08T14:48:22
Bombshell takes a step back to offer some context to the whirlwind of Ukraine and related investigations: what’s with Ukraine’s political trajectory, why is it a magnet for crises involving exte...
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Because We Can Can Can from 2019-09-24T13:30:33
This week Bombshell is blessed by the return of Tamara Cofman Wittes to help everyone understand Iran’s possible motives in the strike on an Aramco facility and what Saudi Arabia might do next. ...
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Out of Order from 2019-09-10T13:40:23
This week Erin, Loren, and Radha are joined by War on the Rock's new editor-in-chief Becky Zimmerman to talk about the talks that never were with the Taliban and catch up on the situation in Afg...
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Second Thoughts from 2019-08-27T13:00
Tori Whiting of the Heritage Foundation joins Radha in geeking out over trade chaos and the potential for a recession -Bombshell's very first guest economist. Erin, Radha, and Loren catch up on ...
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The Bluest Eye from 2019-08-12T23:42:53
The great Meg Guliford joins Erin and Radha for this week's episode of Bombshell, while Loren enjoys a much deserved vacay. The ladies take a tour of world hotspots with a discussion of North Ko...
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The One with Mara Jade from 2019-07-30T16:01:17
This week on Bombshell Loren and Erin hold down the fort and ask the brilliant Elsa Kania to explain the new Chinese defense white paper. Britain has a new PM, Pakistan’s visited the US, and the...
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Stranger Than Fiction from 2019-07-16T17:48:53
Erin, Radha and Loren reunite with author and general badass Nada Bakos to talk about her new book, The Targeter. Foreign relations are pretty lit these days: possible Russian funding of far-rig...
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The Apprentice from 2019-07-02T16:14:27
Erin, Radha and Loren return after some technical difficulties to rehash the G20, a newsy leader summit full of the president reversing the well-honed positions of his staff. Radha explains how ...
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Lie [Down] and Think of The Queen from 2019-06-04T15:41:19
Bombshell welcomes back Amanda Sloat to dish on all the drama across the pond - Brexit, the selection of the new Tory leader, and Trump’s visit, which was surely not (short)waisted [sic]. Foreig...
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A Song of Slights and Ire from 2019-05-21T15:36:53
This week the ladies dive into the recent Iran drama with Ariane Tabatabai. Next, they revisit some recent election results before turning to whirlwind trade developments, as talks with China fa...
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This is the Song That Never Ends from 2019-05-07T17:00:44
This week Erin and Radha hold down the fort and return to some of Bombshell's greatest hits topics, starting with North Korean missile tests and a double feature from ISIS (a new video from Abu ...
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Comedy or Chocolate from 2019-04-23T15:10:13
This week, Loren, Radha, and Erin explore the world's many recent elections - in Israel, India, Indonesia, and Ukraine. They then return to Northern Ireland, not to talk about Brexit, but to unp...
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Real or Fake? from 2019-04-09T15:07:39
The ladies of Bombshell take on proteins and Afghanistan policy all in one segment with special guest Frances Brown. Across the pond, Brexit is going nowhere fast and NATO is celebrating a grand...
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Think Instead About Having a Great Life from 2019-03-26T14:17:50
Join Bombshell for a rousing discussion of the fathomless train wreck that is Brexit and the increasing lack of predictability of the upcoming Israeli elections. Believe it or not, China trade t...
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Live at Duke University! from 2019-03-12T15:41:31
Erin, Radha, and Loren made the trip to Duke University to join the Carlucci National Security Symposium at the Sanford School of Public Policy. On the agenda for this special live show: topics...
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Ain't It Hard Keeping It So Hardcore from 2019-02-26T16:47:30
This week Dr. Tanvi Madan joins the ladies to explain the brewing crisis between India and Pakistan in Kashmir. Then Radha breaks down last week’s trade negotiations with China (what really is a...
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Shove It All Into OCO from 2019-02-12T15:05:35
This week Paula Garcia Tufro joins the Radha, Loren, and Erin to discuss the brewing crisis in Venezuela. Then the ladies fashion an update on Brexit, explore uncharted waters in Iraq, and ask w...
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A Few Good Men from 2019-01-29T17:17:31
It's our 2nd annual Manniversary episode! We dug deep to find the most smoldering hot takes from the men in the national security arena. Join us for a far-ranging discussion with Stan McChrystal...
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Makes We Wonder Why I Even Bring the Thunder from 2019-01-15T16:29:03
Bombshell returns in 2019 with a new set of Bombshell questions and a guest, Dana Stroul, to give our best shot at explaining US-Syria policy. Secretary Pompeo has finished a whirlwind tour (whi...
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Live at the National WWI Museum! from 2019-01-01T16:24:09
Loren and Erin travel to Kansas City for a special live recording at the National World War I Museum. Joined by John Ismay and Steve Leonard, they dig into the many aspects of the Forever Wars i...
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An Emergency Bomblette from 2018-12-21T23:46:01
This ONE TIME we huddled for an emergency podcast. Because the Secretary of Defense resigned in protest. That doesn’t happen everyday. At least we hope not. Enjoy!
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It Was a Very Good Year from 2018-12-18T17:00:09
This week Radha, Loren, and Erin sit down to try and figure out just what the hell happened in 2018. Storm clouds gather as the ladies discuss what NatSec stories we missed - and what we’ll stil...
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And the Money Kept Rolling In from 2018-12-04T17:46:08
This week Erin, Loren, and Radha read the G20 tea leaves, opine on continued chaos in Afghanistan, and remind you about all the White House mayhem from Saudi politics to a Moscow Trump Tower. Ra...
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Come What May from 2018-11-20T18:25:13
Erin, Radha, and Loren invited Dr. Lindsay Cohn of the U.S. Naval War College to join their posse and explain America's history of employing the military for domestic purposes. In Keeping Up Fo...
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A Post-Election Bomblette from 2018-11-08T17:34
Loren, Erin, and Radha meet up in a special short episode to talk about the election aftermath. What will happen with the change in the house, who is on the Senate armed services committee, and ...
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Wait a Minute, Mr. Postman from 2018-10-23T18:37:53
This week Tamara Cofman Wittes joins the Bombshell ladies to discuss the fallout of the Khashoggi assassination and the future of US-Saudi relations. We get further bogged down in Afghanistan an...
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Every Rosé has a Thorn from 2018-10-09T14:52:31
This week, Loren, Radha, and Erin are reunited to discuss such cheery topics as political assassinations and sexual violence (albeit in the form of Nobel Prizes awarded to combat it). Radha dive...
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In Vino Veritas from 2018-09-26T16:23:21
This week on bombshell Erin and Radha drink at Kori Schake's favorite bar in the world. Joined by Amelia Egghart, they discuss why climate change is still a thing and the (lack of) process in na...
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Live at the Army Navy Club! from 2018-09-11T15:19:18
The Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC, hosted Loren and Radha this week for a live show. Lara Seligman of Foreign Policy and Valerie Insinna of Defense News joined the Bombshell crew to discu...
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Next Time Jack Write a Memo from 2018-09-04T19:26:53
Erin, Radha, and Loren head back to school from summer break, with smiling and shining faces. This week they catch up on some extensive Kabul mayhem, covering recent Taliban forays into Afghan-g...
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It’s Aghast from 2018-08-07T16:44:47
While the ladies of Bombshell will talk with just about anyone, should the U.S. government? Bombshell dives into President Trump's proclivity for theatrical political summits with adversaries, f...
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And Now For Something Quite Special from 2018-07-24T16:07:40
Alina Polyakova of Brookings joins the Bombshell crew to dive into the fallout from the Helsinki Summit. Radha furthers our education on tariffs, er trade taxes, as the great trade war of 2018 ...
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No Muppet, No Muppet. You're the Muppet. from 2018-07-11T16:09:06
This week we do our best impersonation of the Georgetown set recording from 1789 and lamenting the world gone to hell. We break down Pompeo's trip to North Korea, Theresa May's Brexit woes, and ...
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Mutually Assured Dysfunction from 2018-06-26T15:47:23
Bombshell goes international! Loren warily crosses the border to visit Stefanie von Hlatky, Stephanie Carvin, and Elaine Bunn for a special Canadian episode at the Kingston Conference on Interna...
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Practical, Tactical Brilliance from 2018-06-21T14:27:17
In the most ambitious crossover event since that one time on TGIF, Bombshell joins Rational Security for a very special joint episode. Radha, Erin, Loren, Shane, and Susan take on our hellscape...
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The Goat Rodeos from 2018-06-11T14:50:08
Radha, Loren, and Erin invite Alex Bell to preview the Singapore Trump-Kim summit, explaining that while there’s more than staring into one another’s eyes for arms control, chemistry is a good s...
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The Hangover from 2018-05-29T16:11:37
This week we ask Emma Ashford to reveal the mysteries of Trump's Middle East policy. Then Loren, Radha, and Erin dive into the recent trade dramas before pondering whether the summit with North ...
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The Only Way Out Is through from 2018-05-15T17:47:12
This week the Bombshell crew does something different. After a crazy few days in the national security world, we break down the good, the bad, and the pop-culture remedies. From Spain to Iran, t...
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All He Had to Do Was Turn Left from 2018-05-02T16:12:18
This week on Bombshell, Rebecca Lissner of Penn's Perry World House guest hosts with Radha and Loren to discuss the handshake heard round the world at the DMZ. The Iran Deal is on the rocks yet...
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Only Mostly Dead from 2018-04-18T16:17:42
This week on Bombshell, Radha, Erin, and Loren play natsec madlibs with Amanda Sloat, discussing every possible complexity of US-Syria policy during John Bolton's first week. The neverending po...
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Long Legs and Brains from 2018-04-02T14:56:56
Erin, Radha, and Loren make it back to the Show (where we never handle our own luggage), welcoming back all-star guest Kori Schake to talk NSC turnover, civil-military relations, and everything ...
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Not Bringing Rexy Back from 2018-03-20T19:39:40
This week, the ladies of Bombshell welcome Lindsey Ford, from the Asia Society Policy Institute, to chat about this spring's Appointment in Helsinki: the US-North Korea presidential summit. The...
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Been Caught Steelin' from 2018-03-06T19:01:08
This week, the ladies of Bombshell welcome Sarah Margon, Washington Director of Human Rights Watch, to explore a side of the Syria conflict we discuss too little on this show: the human dimensio...
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No Joy in Munchen from 2018-02-21T19:49:17
This week, the Bombshell ladies welcome Lauren Fish of the Center for a New American Security to talk all things FY19 defense budget, including why this big funding increase may not be all that ...
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Cha Cha Bang Bang from 2018-02-06T14:15:31
This week the ladies of Bombshell return to regularly scheduled programming, re-introducing ourselves with our new Bombshell questions including everyone's favorite bars and least favorite books...
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It's Raining Men from 2018-01-26T15:44:12
On our first anniversary we couldn’t help but wonder: What's it like to be a man in national security? Kai Ryssdal, Frank Gavin, and Benjamin Wittes join us to discuss.
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Be Like Shawn from 2018-01-12T15:25:43
Special Episode: Live from Maxwell AFB! from 2017-12-19T17:37:13
We Can Only Hope, Sir from 2017-12-13T19:55:27
Candlesticks Always Make a Nice Gift from 2017-11-29T16:20:49
This week on Bombshell we talk with Mieke Eoyang about, well, basically everything. We take a rapid fire tour of political dramas in Zimbabwe, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Lebanon. Stop for a bit ...
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Burn Before Pleading from 2017-11-15T19:52:45
This week on Bombshell, Quinta Jurecic of Lawfare (and Washington Post!) fame joins us to break down the Mueller investigation, AUMF debate, and whether Mike Flynn is really a character...
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The Fallout's Gonna Kill You from 2017-11-01T14:11:26
This week on Bombshell, Alice Hunt Friend joins us to talk all things Africa and civ-mil. We dive into U.S. operations in Niger and the Kenyan elections reboot. Shinzo Abe and Xi Jinping get new...
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Me too and the Gimme Gimmes from 2017-10-18T19:08:19
This week on Bombshell, special guest Elizabeth Rosenberg explains the art of unmaking the Iran deal and the consequences of the Trump administration's Iran 'strategy.' Foreign relations are kee...
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We Got This, Rexy from 2017-10-04T14:22:08
This week, the Bombshell squad goes shoulder to shoulder into the fray of referenda for the Iraqi Kurds and the Catalans in Spain, alongside a recap of the German general election. Like many wo...
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How I Learned to Start Worrying... from 2017-09-20T00:46:31
Erin, Radha, and Loren get the band back together and invite Laura Rosenberger to dish about the launch of the Alliance for Security Democracy (her new project aimed at countering Russian effort...
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Lattes at the End of the World from 2017-09-06T20:56:23
This week, Bombshell bids farewell to summer with our final distributed ops episode, closing out what has been a nice, quiet August (ha. ha). Afghanistan is, as usual, still a thing, but this ti...
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Livin' in a Powder Keg from 2017-08-22T18:37:10
This week the Bombshell crew preps for the eclipse from opposite corners of the world to ask why we haven't all perished in the Fire and the Fury (alternate title for our next romance novel). Al...
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Day-Drinking Like a Queen from 2017-08-08T12:54:05
This week on Bombshell, we each dial in from parts-unknown to compare our drinking habits to the Queen of England. We also discuss new North Korean sanctions, whether anyone sent flowers to the ...
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How to Lose a Clearance in 10 Days from 2017-07-25T13:30:36
Susan Hennessey of Lawfare and Rational Security fame joins Radha and Erin to wade through recertifying the Iran deal, social media shenanigans in the Persian Gulf, and whither the new Russia sa...
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In Space, No One Can Hear you Scream from 2017-07-12T14:35:38
Special guest Amy Shafer joins us for the full show and highlights her fabulous research on the civil-military divide in America (and dishes on the Air Force Tops in Blue). Then we celebrate the...
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Bombshell LIVE! Fake News Edition from 2017-06-30T16:00:44
A special LIVE episode from the CNAS annual conference. We pour some French 75s and talk to Karen Attiah and Jia Lynn Yang from The Washington Post about national security in a time of ...
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Gutter? Catahr? Let's Call the Whole Thing Off from 2017-06-21T15:31:34
How do you solve a problem like Qatar? This week over Pimms Cups, we talk with Mara Karlin about all the Middle East dramas (and why she loves the SAIS cult). We lament the State Dept budget and...
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Soon, and For the Rest of Your Life from 2017-06-07T12:45:22
This week we go it alone to focus on your questions! We force Radha and Loren to actually define their true loves of process and staffing, all while drinking delicious white sangria. Plus, what’...
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Drink to the Foam from 2017-05-24T16:42:27
This week we trek out to the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis for a geek field trip of epic proportions (three words: Jack Ryan's couch). We drink some rum and Claude Berube's scotch, and ...
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Mammas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Bombshells from 2017-05-10T14:35:11
This week on Bombshell, we say nothing about Jim Comey! We recorded Monday and who could have guessed we'd be here today? Instead, we discuss recent casualties in Afghanistan and Somalia, check ...
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Mother of all Bombshells from 2017-04-26T17:51:20
This week on "Bombshell," we dissect Trump’s first 100 days: whither America First, Axis of Adults (or just the big kids table?), budget shenanigans, and delegating all the things. But first,
Red, Red Lines from 2017-04-12T16:13:36
This week on Bombshell we take a long look at Syria with special guest Melissa Dalton: what happened, what questions to ask, what hot takes to avoid, and where to go from here. And then we drink...
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There Xi Goes from 2017-03-29T16:05:46
This week on "Bombshell," Kelly Magsamen joins us to talk about Sec Tillerson’s Asia visit, the upcoming Trump-Xi soiree, and North Korean chicanery. We also discuss splitting the check with NAT...
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Iraq Chalk, Chickenhawk, DPRK Who? from 2017-03-15T13:33:43
This week Radha, Loren, and Erin drink hot toddies and reluctantly dig into the newest Marine Corps scandal. They also explore growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and Europe with a brief "m...
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Rage Against Alcibiades from 2017-03-01T14:15:06
This week, Loren, Radha, and Erin discuss the North Korean assassination (beware the perfume lady) and take questions from listeners (what is inter-service rivalry anyway?). Listen
Process is My Valentine from 2017-02-15T14:51:13
Join us for another round of "Keeping up Foreign Relations" and "White House mayhem." We tackle the Yemen raid, North Korea, Afghanistan, NatSec staffing, and the hiring freeze. Special guest
Aint' No Party Like an America First Party from 2017-02-01T20:56:33
This week on Bombshell, we walk through the first week of the Trump administration. Sit down and listen to Radha Iyengar Plumb, Loren Dejonge Schulman, and Erin Simpson discuss America First, ca...
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