The Truth of the Matter

Latest Episodes:

Securing Full Stack U.S. Leadership in AI Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

“While AI is digital in nature, the binding constraint is physical.” While many think of the race for AI dominance as who can develop the best model, that’s only one piece of the puzzle. Frontier models, data centers, leading-edge chips, energy sources, and digital networks all form the full stack of AI leadership—and any one of them could be a point of failure. CSIS’s Navin Girishankar, president of the CSIS Economic Security and Technology Department, and Joseph Majkut, director of the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change program, join the podcast to discuss their new research on how to secure U.S. full stack leadership in AI, especially expanding energy production to power future AI needs.

Read CSIS’s latest research on full stack AI leadership here: https://www.csis.org/analysis/securing-full-stack-us-leadership-ai

Measles Outbreak Implications Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

The United States is experiencing the worst measles outbreak in 30 years and the highest rate of contraction in the past six years after nearly eradicating the disease. Cases have surged in communities with low immunization coverage, raising concerns about further transmission. Hospitals are reporting an increase in severe cases, particularly among young children and immunocompromised individuals. Experts urge immediate action, emphasizing that vaccination remains the most effective defense against the highly contagious virus. CSIS’s J. Stephen Morrison joins the podcast to discuss the outbreak and the risks associated with it.

Events:

Increasing Measles Vaccination Coverage to Improve Global Health Security

European Divorce Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

Following meetings with European diplomats in Brussels and Paris, CSIS’s Max Bergmann joins the podcast to discuss a possible United States divorce from our allies in Europe. As geopolitical tensions rise and Washington shifts its strategic focus toward the Indo-Pacific, European leaders question the long-term reliability of U.S. commitments to NATO and regional security. Economic disputes, defense spending disagreements, and differing approaches to Russia and China have further widened the gap between the transatlantic allies.

Background Reading:

Why It's Time to Reconsider a European Army

Events:

U.S. Allies and Partners Under the Trump Administration

Intelligence and Subversion in Ukraine Mar 07, 2025

Show notes

CSIS’s Seth Jones, director of the CSIS Defense and Security Department, joins the podcast to discuss the impact of stopping U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine, whether European countries can fill the gap, and how this could affect peace negotiations. They also unpack the fallout from last week’s dramatic Trump-Zelensky meeting and how it could impact the chances of the minerals deal or a peace agreement favorable to Ukraine, as well as the key difference between economic and security guarantees from the United States to Ukraine. Seth also explains how a U.S.-Russia relationship could shift the global order and previews a new CSIS report on malicious activities from Russian military intelligence in Europe that have affected the war.

Events:

Russia’s War in Ukraine and the Prospects for Peace

Deterring Russia: U.S. Military Posture in Europe

Stepping Up on Spectrum Mar 04, 2025

Show notes

Matthew Pearl, director of the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program, joins the podcast to discuss all things spectrum, including his recent testimony before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on spectrum policy, how spectrum impacts our national security, actions that Congress and the administration can take to restore U.S spectrum leadership, spectrum’s impact on AI innovation, and more.

Read or watch Matthew Pearl’s recent congressional testimony on spectrum: https://www.csis.org/analysis/how-spectrum-auction-delays-give-china-edge-and-cost-us-jobs

Transatlantic Tensions at the Munich Security Conference Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

CSIS’s Steve Morrison and Caitlin Welsh join the podcast to discuss the fallout from Vice President JD Vance's controversial speech at the Munich Security Conference. European leaders, particularly in Germany, were outraged by his criticism of the far-right party AfD and his refusal to meet with Chancellor Scholz. They also dive into the broader implications for NATO, the Transatlantic Alliance, and the future of U.S.-European relations, especially as the U.S. shifts toward direct negotiations with Russia, sidelining European allies. The conversation also explores the critical issues of food security, climate change, and health security, highlighting the absence of U.S. leadership and the growing importance of European unity. We reflect on the long-term impact of these developments on global stability and security.

Guests:

J. Stephen Morrison - Senior Vice President and Director, Global Health Policy Center, CSIS

Caitlin Welsh - Director, Global Food and Water Security Program, CSIS

Ukraine Minerals Deal Explained Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

CSIS’s Gracelin Baskaran, Director of the Critical Minerals and Security Program, joins the podcast to break down the recent U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal and its implications for global resource security. They discuss why Ukraine agreed to the deal without security guarantees, the risks this poses for private investment, and the broader geopolitical stakes. Baskaran also draws comparisons to China's mineral deals in the Democratic Republic of Congo and highlights the urgency of securing U.S. supply chains. Plus, a look at her upcoming book, Critical Minerals in the Future of the U.S. Economy, and what it means for national security.

Background Reading: https://www.csis.org/analysis/critical-minerals-and-future-us-economy

Protecting the Backbone of the Internet Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

CSIS’s Erin Murphy, deputy director of the CSIS Chair on India and Emerging Asia Economics, joins the podcast to discuss why subsea cables are so important to global security, the global actors most likely to sabotage these cables, how they play into great power competition with China, and policy recommendations to mitigate these threats.

Tumultuous Times in Europe Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

CSIS’s Max Bergmann, director of the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, joins the podcast to discuss the current state of European security, the potential for a U.S.-Europe tech war, how Ukraine negotiations might evolve, and more.

Read or listen to Max Bergmann’s new report, The Transatlantic Alliance in the Age of Trump: The Coming Collisions, here: https://www.csis.org/analysis/transatlantic-alliance-age-trump-coming-collisions

Responding to the LA Wildfires Feb 12, 2025

Show notes

Ann Lee, co-founder and CEO of Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE Response), joins the podcast to discuss California’s risk of wildfires, CORE’s work to support those impacted by the fires, and how we can learn from relief efforts from past natural disasters to build resilience.

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