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 Deputy Executive Director Martha Miller, NSI Senior Fellows Lester Munson and Morgan Viña, and Director of the NSI CTC - Howard University Cybersecurity Clinic Jessica Jones.  Tune in to learn more about the issues dominating headlines and the news stories you may have missed.<hr /> Hosted on Acast. See <a target="_blank" href="https://acast.com/privacy">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Today, Jess, Les, and Amy unpack the implications of the U.S. shutting down Voice of America and scaling back support for Radio Free Europe—two longtime tools of American public diplomacy. As funding dries up and staff are furloughed, adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran are moving to fill the vacuum in the global information space. Is the U.S. be ceding ground in the global competition for soft power? How should the U.S. modernize its messaging tools to meet today's information challenges? What are the risks if rivals like China and Russia shape the narrative where the U.S. voice goes silent?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the sources that helped shape our Fellows’ discussions:  <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/business/media/us-china-russia-global-communications.html?searchResultPosition=12" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/business/media/us-china-russia-global-communications.html?searchResultPosition=12</a> <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/g-s1-68363/trump-tried-to-shutter-radio-free-europe-the-eu-threw-it-a-lifeline" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/g-s1-68363/trump-tried-to-shutter-radio-free-europe-the-eu-threw-it-a-lifeline</a>  Follow our experts on Twitter:  @NotTVJessJones @lestermunson  @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, and watch today's episode here: <a href="https://youtu.be/ZSn_Je9V8Uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/ZSn_Je9V8Uk</a> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Fault Lines

Episode 470: Losing Our Voice? Shutting Down VOA and the Future of U.S. Messaging

Today, Martha, Les, and Morgan discuss NATO’s unprecedented decision to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP—a seismic shift in transatlantic security policy. Driven by escalating threats from Russia, war in Ukraine, and mounting pressure from President Trump, the alliance’s new posture marks a clear break from decades of post–Cold War complacency. With Trump demanding more from European allies while withholding a full guarantee of U.S. protection, the future of collective defense—and Europe's role–is being fundamentally rewritten. Is this a turning point for NATO or the beginning of its fragmentation? What does this spending surge really buy in terms of deterrence, and is it enough to match rising global threats? And can Europe truly step up—or is burden-sharing still more theory than reality? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. Check out the sources that helped shape our Fellows’ discussions:  <a href="https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_236418.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/opinions_236418.htm</a>  <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gd98qry6jo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gd98qry6jo</a>  <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/24/politics/nato-summit-trump-solitary-approach" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/24/politics/nato-summit-trump-solitary-approach</a>  <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-heads-nato-summit-europe-agrees-heed-his-defense-spending-demands" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-heads-nato-summit-europe-agrees-heed-his-defense-spending-demands</a>  Follow our experts on Twitter:  @marthamillerdc @lestermunson  @morganlroach 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, and watch today's episode here: <a href="https://youtu.be/DGDfMrDkUtY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/DGDfMrDkUtY</a> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Episode 469: NATO’s Pivot: Defense, Deterrence, and Division

Today, Morgan, Les, and Jeffrey break down Operation Midnight Hammer—the largest B-2 strike in U.S. history. Over the weekend, U.S. forces launched a major bombing campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, deploying 125 aircraft, 14 bunker-busting MOPs, and over two dozen Tomahawk missiles in a high-stakes mission aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear capabilities. While President Trump has declared victory, the fallout—military, diplomatic, and political—is only beginning. What options does Iran have now? Will it retaliate through traditional military means, ramp up proxy warfare, or strike at global infrastructure? With tensions high and the potential for escalation real, what does continued engagement look like—and are we prepared for what comes next? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. Follow our experts on Twitter:  @morganlroach @lestermunson  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, and watch today's episode here: <a href="https://youtu.be/lvrwmY4fET0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/lvrwmY4fET0</a>  <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Episode 468: Operation Midnight Hammer

Today, Les, Martha, and Jeffery discuss the latest twist in the escalating standoff between the U.S., Israel, and Iran. As speculation swirls over whether the U.S. will join Israeli strikes on Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Fordow, the White House has announced President Trump will decide within two weeks whether to intervene. That decision could involve the use of powerful U.S. bunker-busting munitions—potentially the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator—against a fortified target only the U.S. is capable of hitting. While others jump to forecast outcomes, the Fault Lines crew focuses instead on what this moment actually means.What does the administration’s messaging signal about its strategic calculus—and red lines? How much pressure is being applied through public signaling, and how much of it is aimed at Tehran, Tel Aviv, or the American public? And with escalation already underway, how can we look to conflicts of the past to inform how we move forward? Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines. Follow our experts on Twitter:  @lestermunson  @marthamillerdc 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, and watch today's episode here (and have a chance to see Bean the dog!): <a href="https://youtu.be/E4KyNG8l-cg" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/E4KyNG8l-cg</a> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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