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PODCAST

The Restricted Handling Podcast

Restricted Handling

Former CIA officers talk Russia, China, Iran, North Korea; international security, geopolitics, military, intel operations, sanctions and economic power plays Including daily news drops beyond the headlines (human analysis leveraging AI). It"s RH. restrictedhandling.substack.com

news news commentary

All Episodes

00:41:28

Greenland, Spies, Traitors, Book Recommendations, and...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/23

👉 Subscribe to The Restricted Handling Podcast https://www.restrictedhandling.com/Get the daily intelligence brief Ryan and Glenn read—covering Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, the Middle East, geopolitics, sanctions, military and intel operations. Stay ahead of the news cycle.Today it's: Greenland. Davos. Russia. Espionage. Serbia. Ukraine.In this Ryan & Glenn–only episode of the Restricted Handling Podcast, the hosts break down a whirlwind week in global geopolitics, from President

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00:09:34

RH 1.23.26 | Russia: Land, Leverage, and the Long War

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/23

In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down one of the most consequential 24-hour periods in the Russia–Ukraine war since the invasion began. Trilateral talks between the United States, Ukraine, and Russia kick off in Abu Dhabi, marking the first time all three sides have entered the same diplomatic channel since 2022—and the stakes could not be higher. Russia is showing up with its cards face-up: territory first, everything else later. Vladimir Putin’s late-night meeting with

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00:08:24

RH 1.23.26 | China: Davos Calm, TikTok Split,...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/23

China is having a moment—and not the loud, chest-thumping kind. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down how Beijing spent the last 24 hours quietly tightening its grip across diplomacy, finance, technology, and security while the rest of the world looked… distracted. We start at Davos, where global leaders openly questioned whether the old rules-based international order is still alive. As U.S. rhetoric rattled allies and injected uncertainty into markets,

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00:08:25

RH 1.22.26 | China: Davos Shock, Taiwan Gridlock,...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/22

In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down 24 hours that quietly say a lot about where China is headed, how the global order is bending, and why Beijing seems perfectly content letting others do the shouting while it rearranges the furniture. We start at Davos, where the World Economic Forum usually runs on reassurance and polite consensus. Instead, the United States shows up and publicly declares the post–World War II economic order finished. Tariffs are back, alliances are

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00:08:40

RH 1.22.26 | Russia: Drones, Davos, and a Winter War...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/22

Russia talks peace in Davos while missiles fly, drones swarm, and winter tightens its grip—and that contradiction is the story of this episode. In RH 1.22.26 | Russia, we break down a brutal 24-hour snapshot of the Ukraine war as diplomacy, destruction, and domestic pressure all collide at once. While U.S. envoys bounce between Kyiv and Moscow claiming a deal is “reasonably close,” Russia keeps the air war humming, hammering Ukraine’s energy grid in the dead of winter and daring everyone to pretend

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00:11:10

RH 1.21.26 | Economic & Sanctions Deep Dive: Russia &...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/21

Step beyond the headlines and official spin to uncover the deeper realities inside Russia and China’s economies. We take a close look at how Moscow and Beijing project power abroad while grappling with fragile foundations at home, from Russia’s unsustainable wartime spending to China’s faltering growth and anxious workforce. We cut through state narratives to reveal the costs of these economies, costs borne not by leaders, but by ordinary citizens facing higher prices and shrinking opportunities

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00:08:27

RH 1.21.26 | China: Allies Hedge, Embassies Rise,...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/21

China is having one of those weeks—and this episode breaks it all down with clarity, speed, and just enough edge to keep things sharp. In RH 1.21.26 | China: Allies Hedge, Embassies Rise, Seas Heat Up, we walk through how Beijing is navigating a rapidly shifting global environment where pressure is coming from every direction at once. From uneasy economic hedging by U.S. allies, to rising military friction in the South China Sea, to internal discipline tightening inside China’s own intelligence

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00:09:08

RH 1.21.26 | Russia, Winter Strikes, Nuclear Power...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/21

Russia turned the volume all the way up in the dead of winter — and this episode breaks down exactly what that looks like in real time. In RH 1.21.26, we walk through one of the most consequential 24-hour stretches of the war so far, as Moscow unleashed a massive combined missile-and-drone attack across Ukraine, hammering energy infrastructure, plunging cities into darkness, and pushing dangerously close to nuclear red lines. This wasn’t just another overnight strike. This was escalation with

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00:08:01

RH 1.20.26 | China: Control Tightens, Exports Strain,...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/20

China hit its growth target—but the story doesn’t stop at the headline. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down what’s really happening inside China right now, and why the last 24 hours offer a sharp snapshot of where Beijing is headed politically, economically, and militarily. Xi Jinping is tightening the screws at home, and the numbers are eye-popping. Nearly one million people punished for corruption in 2025 alone. Senior officials, military officers, executives,

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00:09:22

RH 1.20.26 | Russia: Power Cuts, Drone Waves, and...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/20

Russia turns up the pressure, Ukraine adapts on the fly, and diplomacy tries to keep up. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down a chaotic 24 hours that perfectly capture where the war in Ukraine — and Russia’s broader strategy — stands right now. From Kyiv’s darkest nights of the war to Moscow’s loudest political signaling, this is a snapshot of a conflict settling in for the long haul. We start with Russia’s escalating air campaign and the very real consequences on the

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00:09:23

RH 1.19.26 | China: Export Mirage, Drone Pressure,...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/19

China hit its 2025 growth target—but don’t get distracted by the headline. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we rip into what’s actually powering Beijing right now, where the stress fractures are forming, and why the PLA, the yuan, and a whole lot of drones are showing up in the same 24-hour window. This is a fast-moving, high-context breakdown of China’s current posture across economics, military pressure, intelligence operations, and emerging technology—delivered with energy,

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00:08:20

RH 1.19.26 | Russia: Drones, Darkness, Davos

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/19

Russia turns the lights off, fires up the drone factory, and shows up to Davos pretending it wants peace. That’s the vibe. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down one of the most consequential 24-hour windows of the war in Ukraine as Russia escalates its winter pressure campaign and pushes the conflict into even riskier territory. Moscow is preparing strikes that could sever power to Ukraine’s nuclear plants, a move that would amplify blackouts, freeze civilians, and raise

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00:04:29

What to Watch Next Week: (2026-01-18 to 2026-01-24)

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/18

Get ready for a fast-moving, global rundown in this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast: What’s Coming Up Next Week in the World. If you’re trying to stay ahead of international security, geopolitics, and global power shifts without drowning in noise, this is your weekly orientation briefing — built for analysts, operators, policymakers, and anyone who wants to understand how the world is lining up before the headlines hit.In this episode, we walk through the key geopolitical events scheduled

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00:09:55

RH 1.17.26 | Saturday Spy Stories Deep Dive

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/17

A weekly deep dive into the latest spy stories and intelligence updates from across the globe. We spotlight the hidden dynamics driving security crises, geopolitical maneuvering, and covert operations—all with a sharp, unvarnished perspective. From cyber threats to clandestine influence campaigns, this episode pulls together the week’s most critical developments, cutting through the noise and spin. Join us as we uncover the storylines shaping tomorrow’s conflicts, power plays, and intelligence

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00:07:38

RH 1.16.26 | China: Fish Farms, Flat-Tops, and the...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/16

China is back on the move—and this episode breaks down how Beijing is quietly applying pressure across the map while the rest of the world is looking elsewhere. In RH 1.16.26 | China: Fish Farms, Flat-Tops, and the Long Game, we walk through the last 24 hours of China’s most consequential geopolitical, military, and economic activity, focusing on what actually matters beneath the headlines. This isn’t a surface-level news recap. It’s a stitched-together picture of how China is pairing diplomacy,

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00:08:38

RH 1.16.26 | Russia: NATO Red Lines, Nuclear Noise,...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/16

Russia isn’t narrowing its war aims — it’s doubling down. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down the last 24 hours of developments that show Moscow escalating politically, rhetorically, and operationally as winter tightens its grip on the war in Ukraine. We start with Vladimir Putin himself reinforcing what’s becoming impossible to ignore: this war was never just about Ukraine. The Kremlin is once again tying its invasion to NATO expansion, reviving pre-2022 demands to

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00:09:26

RH 1.15.26 | China: Charm Offensives, Chip...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/15

China is having one of those days—smiles on the surface, pressure everywhere else. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down how Beijing is running a full-spectrum influence campaign while tightening control at home and quietly reshaping the global tech and economic battlefield. We start in Northeast Asia, where China and Japan are openly competing for South Korea’s attention. Chinese leader Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in

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00:09:16

RH 1.15.26 | Russia: Maximalist Demands, Winter...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/15

Russia is talking big — but the battlefield, the power grid, and even its own border regions are telling a different story. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down the last 24 hours of developments that show just how wide the gap has become between Moscow’s rhetoric and reality. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov went full mask-off, openly expanding Russia’s war aims beyond Crimea and the Donbas to include Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa. At the same time,

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00:11:06

RH 1.14.26 | Economic & Sanctions Deep Dive: Russia &...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/14

Step beyond the headlines and official spin to uncover the deeper realities inside Russia and China’s economies. We take a close look at how Moscow and Beijing project power abroad while grappling with fragile foundations at home, from Russia’s unsustainable wartime spending to China’s faltering growth and anxious workforce. We cut through state narratives to reveal the costs of these economies, costs borne not by leaders, but by ordinary citizens facing higher prices and shrinking opportunities

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00:08:31

RH 1.14.26 | China: Trade Trillions, Chip Games,...

The Restricted Handling Podcast ·

2026/01/14

China closes out 2025 with a jaw-dropping trillion-dollar trade surplus, Russia suddenly looks like less of a sure bet, and Washington just flipped the chessboard in Venezuela. In this episode of The Restricted Handling Podcast, we break down a dense, fast-moving 24 hours across China, Russia, and the global pressure points connecting them—and yes, it all ties together. We start with the numbers Beijing wants the world to see. Despite renewed U.S. tariffs and nonstop talk of decoupling, China ends

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