PODCAST

The Truth of the Matter

CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies

A weekly analysis of the complex policy issues driving the news.

government & organizations non-profit

All Episodes

31:11

AI Competition and Security: A discussion with Kemba...

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/07/10

“We’re in a whole tangled mess…we’ve gotten ourselves into a tangled mess around not just securing our infrastructure, but also around competition for the pieces of our infrastructure.” AI has become a cornerstone of modern defense, economic security, commerce, and more. But without effective cybersecurity strategies, the technology that has helped drive U.S. innovation and productivity could become our Achilles heel.Kemba Walden, president of the Paladin Global Institute and former Acting

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16:13

Keeping Our Beaches Clean with the Surfrider Foundation

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/07/03

This summer, millions of Americans will head to the beach to beat the heat. But how clean is the water they're swimming in? At many beaches, especially on the East Coast, water quality is rarely tested for bacteria, pollution, and other health hazards that may be dangerous to both beachgoers and the many species that live in marine habitats. While the importance of clean drinking water is a well-known issue, pollution in swimming water has also become a serious public health issue in some areas of

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24:44

NATO’s “Brain-Dead” Summit

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/06/30

“I think what happened here is Europeans made a lot of commitments that they don’t have any intention of fulfilling—at least in the near term—and this is all about appeasing President Trump to keep him engaged with the NATO alliance.” At the recent summit in The Hague, Netherlands, NATO allies agreed to spend a target 5 percent of GDP on defense in a win for Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed the belief that European NATO allies are not spending enough. Was this a mistake—and can European

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22:58

Did U.S. Strikes Prevent an Iranian Bomb—or Provoke One?

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/06/27

“The word ‘obliteration’ is being used a lot…I think there’s a little more nuance to it.” Intelligence assessments from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran, and the United States have provided competing accounts of the functionality of Fordow, Iran’s critical uranium refinement site, and the Iranian nuclear program as a whole. The intelligence community still has a lot of blanks to fill in, including the extent of the damage to various Iranian nuclear sites, the state of Iran’s missile

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28:50

Is Ideology Blinding Iran to Reality?

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/06/26

“They didn’t understand the essence of Israel, and they are now dead.” Are Iran and regional terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah considering the reality of Israel’s military posture and motivations? Iran may have underestimated Israel’s willingness to launch a surprise attack like the one that started the 12-day war, but with a fragile ceasefire in place, it is unclear whether Tehran’s military calculus has changed.Ambassador Dennis Ross, counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow

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25:19

12-Day War: Now What?

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/06/24

CSIS’s Jon Alterman, a longtime Middle East scholar and geopolitical expert, joins the podcast to discuss potential outcomes from Israel and Iran’s 12-day war and shaky ceasefire. Key question: Does the conflict and ceasefire make the world a safer place and reduce nuclear proliferation, or does it possibly increase nuclear proliferation?

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15:19

Emergency Podcast: Iran Strikes Back

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/06/23

CSIS Middle East Program Director Mona Yacoubian joins the podcast to discuss Monday’s strike by Iran on Al Udeid Air Base, the largest American military installation in the Middle East and the broader strategic implications of the conflict.

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23:44

Israel’s Strategic Objectives and the Future of Warfare

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/06/18

CSIS’s Eliot A. Cohen, former dean of Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and former councilor to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice joins the podcast to discuss Israel’s strategic objectives, potential regime change in Iran and what Israel’s military operation indicates for the future of warfare.

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30:13

Emergency Podcast: Israeli Strike on Iran

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/06/13

CSIS’ Seth Jones, Emily Harding and Ben Jensen join the podcast to discuss Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, leadership and other targets.

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13:09

Can We Share Spectrum?

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/06/09

"The spectrum is a scarce national resource...it is absolutely a defense priority." Much of the spectrum has been auctioned off for commercial use, sparking a fierce debate on Capitol Hill: How can we balance spectrum use between commercial and national defense needs? While fast telecommunications is crucial to our economy, leaving spectrum space for military radar is also key for U.S. homeland security and intelligence. Tom Karako, director of the CSIS Missile Defense Project, joins the podcast

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20:36

The Golden Dome and the New Missile Age

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/05/15

“Back in 2015, about $12.8 billion, or about 7.6 percent of DOD’s modernization, went to missile defense of some kind. Today it’s up to $25.5 billion, and 8.2 percent of DOD’s modernization budget.” As hypersonic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles become increasingly more common on the battlefield, focusing on the full spectrum of missile threats is crucial, especially as the missile threat from China and Russia grows. Developing next-generation missile defense capabilities

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31:48

Analyzing Missile Attacks in Ukraine

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/05/09

“Modern war is almost a new missile age.” Missiles have played a crucial role in the Russia-Ukraine war, with Russia beginning to send mass missile salvos at command and control nodes, political centers, and even civilian targets. The CSIS Futures Lab has launched an innovative new project, the Russian Firepower Strike Tracker, that uses AI and data analysis to determine the success of these attacks and ways for Ukraine to fight back.CSIS’s Benjamin Jensen, director of the CSIS Futures Lab and

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18:44

Trump’s Panama Canal Policy

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/04/29

CSIS’s Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss the U.S. strategic interests in the Panama Canal, competition with China and potential outcomes.

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18:58

China Weathers the Storm of U.S. Tariffs

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/04/17

“This is not good for China’s economy, but they have staying power, and I don’t see them backing down.” While the pandemic years were tough on China’s economy, the country has recently recovered financially, recording a 5 percent growth rate last year. China is also becoming increasingly less dependent on exports to the United States and is diversifying investments in Southeast Asia, putting it in a good position to weather the storm of U.S. tariffs. Scott Kennedy, CSIS senior adviser and Trustee

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23:26

Auto Tariffs Threaten to Drive Up Prices

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/04/15

"The President's 'Liberation Day' really shakes the foundation of the current system in the auto industry...if these tariffs stay on for any length of time, they could lead to a fundamental reordering of the U.S. market." The slate of tariffs recently announced by the White House will likely lead to rising costs for cars in the United States, especially for smaller and lower-priced vehicles. Some foreign auto makers are already pausing shipments to the United States, which also curtails choices for

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20:15

China’s Halt of Critical Minerals

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/04/15

CSIS’s Gracelin Baskaran joins the podcast to discuss China’s halt of critical minerals to the United States. In addition to consumer products, the Pentagon and defense contractors are heavily reliant on magnets and rare earth minerals mined or processed in China. Baskaran discusses the impact of this decision and more.

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30:33

Liberation Day Fallout and What Comes Next

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/04/08

In this special crossover episode with CSIS podcast, The Trade Guys, Bill Reinsch and Scott Miller unpack the latest news about the impacts of the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs and how markets, trading partners, and consumers will respond.

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22:49

Mark Penn Polls and the Future of News

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/04/07

Stagwell CEO and longtime pollster/strategist talks about his latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll findings plus a discussion about the future of news.

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7:05

South Korea’s Quiet Crisis and Trade with the U.S.

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/04/04

CSIS’ Victor Cha joins the podcast to discuss South Korea’s “Quiet Crisis” of leadership and the vacuum in wake of President Yoon’s impeachment, plus, the impact of President Trump’s tariffs while the ROK seeks to elect its next leader over the next two months.

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24:18

Reciprocal Tariff Reactions

The Truth of the Matter ·

2025/04/03

In this special crossover episode with CSIS podcast, The Trade Guys, Bill Reinsch and Andrew give their first takes on the April 2 tariff announcements from the White House.

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