Fault Lines

National Security Institute
  • 4.4 (43)
  • Politics
  • Updated Semiweekly

Fault Lines, the National Security Institute’s flagship podcast, gets you quickly up to speed, three-times-a-week, on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America. Our regular cast of foreign policy experts includes NSI Founder and Executive Director Jamil N. Jaffer, NSI Advisory Board Member Lester Munson, and NSI Senior Fellows Morgan Viña, and Jessica Jones.  Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 23h ago

    Fault Lines Episode 642: AI vs AI: Cybersecurity, Disruption, and the New National Security Economy

    Today, John, Les, and Jess dig into the accelerating collision between artificial intelligence and cybersecurity as businesses scramble to respond to a wave of attacks over the last 48 hours. From AI agents operating autonomously inside U.S. bank accounts to unpatched vulnerabilities quietly spreading through critical systems, the threat environment may be growing faster than institutions can adapt. Meanwhile, AI companies are rapidly becoming essential economic and national security infrastructure, and the foreign policy implications are only beginning to surface. Are governments and the private sector moving fast enough to get ahead of these cybersecurity risks before they cause systemic economic damage? As AI firms grow indispensable to U.S. economic and security interests, will politics constrain their ability to generate the revenue needed to sustain that role? Are militarized labradoodles the future of national security? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @NotTVJessJones @JohnCLipsey Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/VIEeq7KMft0?si=JGWHkWeJzpQWV951 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. 3d ago

    Fault Lines Episode 641: Protests in France: Guns vs. Beurre

    Today, Jess, Les, John, and Andrew examine the wave of riots sweeping France and what they reveal about the country's deepening political and strategic dysfunction. What began as student protests over school conditions has exploded into widespread unrest over cost of living and quality of life, with looting, clashes with police, and demonstrations now spreading to other parts of Europe. With a presidential election on the horizon, France's political future is anything but certain. What do these riots signal about France's capacity to govern itself and contribute meaningfully to NATO? With France falling short on defense investment, can it credibly lead in an era when the United States is no longer willing to carry the alliance? How are adversaries like Russia exploiting French instability to weaken European cohesion? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @NotTVJessJones @JohnCLipsey @AndrewBorene Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/E1YU9fDcc2A Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. 5d ago

    Fault Lines Episode 640: Trump, Putin, Xi, and a Deal Without Kyiv?

    Today, Les, Jess, John, and Amy dig into the accelerating — and increasingly chaotic — diplomacy surrounding the Russia-Ukraine war. Trump announced an energy ceasefire barring strikes on oil infrastructure — then waived sanctions on Russian energy production — only for Russia to launch a massive attack on Ukraine the very next day. Now, reports are surfacing that Putin is floating a trilateral summit with Trump and Xi to determine Ukraine's future — with no Ukrainian officials at the table. Would a Trump-Putin-Xi summit represent a genuine path to peace or a capitulation dressed up as diplomacy? What does the energy ceasefire's immediate collapse reveal about Moscow's intentions and Washington's leverage? If Ukraine is excluded from talks over its own fate, what leverage does Kyiv have left? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @NotTVJessJones @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/dFA0d_1RTIA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Oct 16

    Fault Lines Episode 639: A Rupture Over Russia

    Today, John, Andy, and Marc dig into the deepening rupture between the Trump administration and Ukrainian President Zelensky. After Trump announced a deal to allow Russian diesel into U.S. markets — following weeks of pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian refineries — Zelensky publicly condemned the agreement, prompting Trump to call for a new Ukrainian president. Reports have since emerged of restricted intelligence sharing with Kyiv and speed throttling on Starlink and Starshield, with the White House denying direct involvement even as the damage mounts. What does the withholding of battlefield intelligence signal to U.S. allies about American reliability? Is the diesel deal a genuine strategic calculation, or a diversion from the administration's broader frustrations with the war's stalemate? How does this rupture affect allied confidence in U.S. commitments at a moment when NATO cohesion is already under strain? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @JohnCLipsey @AndyKeiser @WashingtonFlack Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Oct 14

    Fault Lines Episode 638: Sovereign Territory: Enclaves, Empires, and the Limits of Self-Determination

    Today, John, Les, Jess, and Jamil take stock of a world where territorial sovereignty is suddenly anything but settled. From Spain's enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla — where a social media-driven migration crisis has Spanish polls showing 60% fear armed conflict with Morocco — to Argentina's renewed challenge to British rule in the Falklands, to the United States openly pressuring Denmark over Greenland, longstanding arrangements are being tested from multiple directions simultaneously. Complicating the picture further, Israel has shuttered the UK's consulate in response to British sanctions over settlement activity. Who is actually driving instability in these contested territories, and to what end? How do Western powers reconcile championing self determination while guarding sovereignty over their distant enclaves? Should the U.S. stand for universal principles or prioritize competition with Russia and China over strategic geography and resources? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/O27_Tz_A2Tg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Oct 12

    Fault Lines Episode 637: Houthis Hit Riyadh: Where’s Washington?

    Today, Jess, Jamil, Les, and John break down the deadly Houthi strikes on Riyadh's airport, which killed well over a dozen people — including at least one American — and wounded hundreds. The attacks underscore the enduring threat Iran-backed forces pose to Saudi energy and critical infrastructure and regional stability, even as the United States considers more direct intervention. With Iranian-enabled strikes escalating across the region, Washington's posture is engendering debate, including experts who say decades of half-measures have only emboldened the Houthis. Is the administration's restraint a calculated strategy, or are domestic politics driving a dangerous passivity toward Iran? What does it mean for American credibility in the Gulf if the U.S. continues to absorb Iranian provocations without a full-scale military response? Should Washington be doing more to stand with Saudi Arabia against the Iranian threat network enabling these attacks? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @NotTVJessJones @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/s8Vrdh_m0kk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Oct 9

    Fault Lines Episode 636: Contagion and Capital Punishment: A Week of Warning Signs

    Today, Les, John, and Amy confront a collision of alarming headlines: a plague outbreak traced to Russian anti-plague research institute, an Ebola crisis in Africa surpassing 8,000 cases, and a public execution by firing squad making news at home. Against this backdrop, deep cuts to the CDC and the dismantling of U.S. global health infrastructure have left serious questions about whether America is equipped to respond if any of these threats reach its shores. Is the United States genuinely prepared for another pandemic, or have recent funding cuts left a dangerous gap in its defenses? With two of America's most capable adversaries hosting advanced bioweapons programs as deadly diseases spread nearby, how should Washington recalibrate its global health security posture? What lessons from COVID-19 remain unlearned, and who is responsible for applying them now? And what does the return of public execution by firing squad signal about the direction of American governance? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @amykmitchell Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/KKvgDQ8-cxA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Oct 7

    Fault Lines Episode 635: Red Sea Rising: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Houthi Offensive

    Today, John, Jamil, Les, and Matt examine the renewed Saudi and Yemeni offensive against Houthi forces along the western coast of Yemen, a stretch of coastline critical to global shipping routes. Since the start of the Iran war, the conflict has escalated sharply — Houthi forces launched an offensive to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, declared a blockade on Saudi tankers, and drones struck the vital East-West pipeline. The broader regional picture remains complex with Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the UAE to warn of Iranian attack indicators and coordinate a response to Houthi aggression. Can Saudi Arabia and its limited partners achieve a decisive military outcome in a conflict with roots stretching back over a thousand years? Has a pattern of American inaction across three administrations emboldened Iran to keep exploiting the Houthi cause? How should the United States calibrate its support when direct military action may not be the answer? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. @lestermunson @JohnCLipsey @WMattHayden @jamil_n_jaffer Like what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter! We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/fzlI9093xl4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4.4
out of 5
43 Ratings

About

Fault Lines, the National Security Institute’s flagship podcast, gets you quickly up to speed, three-times-a-week, on the national security and foreign policy debates shaking up America. Our regular cast of foreign policy experts includes NSI Founder and Executive Director Jamil N. Jaffer, NSI Advisory Board Member Lester Munson, and NSI Senior Fellows Morgan Viña, and Jessica Jones.  Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    National Security Institute
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    654
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © A National Security Institute Podcast
  • Show Website
    Fault Lines

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