Content

Podcast

Jun 18, 2026

“Shoot everybody”: US contractors in San Diego court

By Alia Brahimi

In Season 2, Episode 16 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi is joined by Daniel McLaughlin, an international lawyer and Legal Director of the Centre for Justice and Accountability (CJA), a California-based legal nonprofit working on behalf of victims of torture and other atrocity crimes. Daniel and CJA are leading a civil suit in San Diego against a Delaware-registered PMC, Spear Operations Group, for war crimes in Yemen. They represent the Yemeni parliamentarian Anssaf Ali Mayo, who was one of the targets of an alleged hit-squad in Yemen. Daniel talks us through the facts of the case, how it ended up in a California courtroom ten years later, and which US and international laws were ostensibly broken by the PMC. He also argues forcefully that the US government has a duty to regulate how former members of its military use their training and know-how.

Middle East Rule of Law

Podcast

Jun 12, 2026

Andrew Giuliani on the White House’s World Cup security playbook

By the Atlantic Council

The FIFA World Cup kicks off this week across the US, Mexico, and Canada, bringing with it millions of fans, dozens of teams, and what officials describe as a security challenge unlike any sporting event the United States has hosted before.

Podcast

Jun 12, 2026

So what’s the strategy for NATO’s transformation?

By the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Host Matthew Kroenig is joined by Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander of NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT) to discuss how NATO is confronting the changing nature of war and the evolving threats facing the alliance. NATO ACT leads the Alliance’s military adaptation, coordinating efforts across member nations. ACT works to identify challenges and opportunities to ensure that the Alliance maintains a warfighting edge over its adversaries.

Podcast

Jun 5, 2026

The Matrix (1999)

By the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Dr. Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O'Brien, and Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, discuss the 1999 film, The Matrix, and its implications for the convergence of artificial intelligence and biological science.

Podcast

Jun 3, 2026

Should we be worried about the bond market?

By the GeoEconomics Center

Bond yields have spiked, especially in advanced economies. But why is that? And what does that actually mean? Alice Fulwood, US business editor at the Economist and co-host of the podcast Money Talks, joins Josh and Jessie to decode the signals in the global bond market—from Iran inflation concerns to growing government debt.

Podcast

May 29, 2026

Project Hail Mary (2026)

By the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense

In this episode of The Biollywood Podcast, the Director of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council, Dr. Asha M. George, Associate Director for Research, J.T. O’Brien, and Associate Director for Government Relations and Policy, Robert Bradley, discuss the 2026 film, Project Hail Mary.

Podcast

May 22, 2026

What did the Trump-Xi summit actually achieve?

By the GeoEconomics Center

After months of anticipation, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping finally met in Beijing. But beyond a few concrete announcements—including a Chinese pledge to buy two hundred Boeing jets—the summit raised more questions than it answered. Together with Melanie Hart, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, Josh and Jessie unpack what actually came out of the meeting: from purchase commitments and assurances around critical minerals to Trump’s controversial comments on Taiwan.

Podcast

May 8, 2026

So what’s the strategy for China?

By the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Host Matthew Kroenig is joined by Kurt Campbell, chairman and co-founder of The Asia Group, to discuss former President Joe Biden’s strategy toward China, the Trump administration's strategic approach to Beijing, and Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Campbell most recently served as the 22nd US deputy secretary of state. Previously, as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, he was widely credited as the architect of the US “pivot to Asia.”

China Security & Defense

Podcast

May 5, 2026

Are we headed toward a US-China trade showdown?

By the GeoEconomics Center

With US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing less than two weeks away, Josh and Jessie sit down with the Wall Street Journal’s chief China correspondent, Lingling Wei, to break down what issues will shape the agenda: from the Iran war to Washington’s push for “rules of origin,” which could fundamentally reshape trade relations. They also dig into the backroom drama of past high-level visits, including shouting matches and fistfights.

Podcast

May 1, 2026

The IEA’s Fatih Birol on ‘the greatest energy security threat in history’

By the Atlantic Council

The war in Iran continues with no clear end in sight, fueling economic turbulence and concerns of a global energy crisis. International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol spoke at an AC Front Page event on April 13th, and argued the conflict is the greatest energy security threat in history. He warned that oil prices will soon “converge” with the on-the-ground reality, knocking the global economy further into disarray.

Economy & Business European Union