S9 Ep62: The Information Animal: Humans, Technology, and the Competition for Reality with Alicia Wanless
How do we make sense of truth in a world saturated with content? This week, Chris speaks with Alicia Wanless—director of the Information Environment Project at the Carnegie Endowment and author of The...
5 Aug 20251h 21min
S9 Ep53: Terror Without a Cause: Nihilism, Youth, and the New Extremist Threat with Jacob Ware
This week, Matt is joined by terrorism researcher Jacob Ware to unpack the rise of nihilistic violent extremism—attacks carried out by disaffected young men radicalized online without any clear politi...
30 Jul 202558min
S9 Ep60: QAnon and the Mainstreaming of Extremism with Mike Rothschild
Author and conspiracy researcher Mike Rothschild joins Chris to unpack the rise, evolution, and enduring influence of QAnon. They explore its blend of old and new conspiracies, its gamified social app...
30 Jul 202547min
S9 Ep61: Espresso Martini | Epstein Spy Rumors, Arctic Power Plays, and Trump’s Ukraine Reversal
The MAGA movement cracks as Trump’s name surfaces in the Epstein files and his administration fails to deliver the promised disclosures. We unpack the backlash, the conspiracies, and the lingering que...
26 Jul 20251h 6min
Service Announcement: Chris and Matt on DogShirtTV. No Espresso Martini this week, and a QAnon episode instead
Hi eveyone. Chris & Matt will be on Benjamin Wittes & Alicia Wanless's YouTube show "Dog Shirt TV", talking about Secrets & Spies, its origins, our interest in espionage and our thoughts on Spy Fictio...
18 Jul 20251min
S9 Ep59: The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century with Tim Weiner
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tim Weiner joins Matt to discuss The Mission, his new history of the CIA in the 21st century. They explore the agency’s quiet successes and moral failings, from disma...
12 Jul 20251h 2min
S9 Ep58: Iran’s Nuclear Future and Why Bombs Won’t Stop it with Joe Cirincione
Matt is joined by nonproliferation expert Joe Cirincione to unpack what the recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran actually achieved—and what they didn’t. They discuss the extent of the damage to Iran’...
9 Jul 202547min
S9 Ep57: Espresso Martini | NATO Navigates Trump, Presidential War Powers, and Ukraine Under Strain
This week, Matt and Chris break down the recent NATO summit, where Trump’s presence loomed large—even as the alliance bent over backwards to avoid a blow-up. Matt argues that NATO Secretary General Ma...
5 Jul 20251h 13min
