Episodes
-
Timothy Ditter joins the show to discuss his report on China’s military presence in Africa, including its first overseas military base in Djibouti.
Guest Biographies
Timothy Ditter is a senior research scientist in CNA’s China Studies Program. His work covers PLA amphibious warfare, China’s military modernization and expansion, China’s growing nuclear weapons program, and China’s nascent global military presence.
Further Reading
CNA Report: The Military and Security Dimensions of the PRC's Africa Presence
CNA Report: PRC Illicit and Malign Activities in Africa: Critical Infrastructure and Mining
CNA Report: PRC Lending in Africa: Impacts in a Time of Global Shocks
CNA Talks: China's Economic Activities in Africa
-
This episode examines the views of three stakeholder communities within Moscow’s interconnected nuclear ecosystem and how they view Russia’s nuclear doctrine.
*A previous version of this episode incorrectly stated that Russia's Security Council changed its nuclear doctrine during a September 25 meeting. The correct telling is that Russian President Vladimir Putin soft-launched proposed changes to the doctrine during this meeting. At this time, Russia has made no official changes to its nuclear doctrine.
Guest Bios
Gabriela Rosa Hernandez is a specialist in Russia's security policy. Her recent research has focused on Russian strategic deterrence, security orders, conventional and nuclear arms control in Europe, and the Russian military.
Cornell Overfield is a specialist in the relationship between maritime law and foreign policy. At CNA, he has worked on projects covering Arctic security and economic activity, improved engagement with allies and partners, and data analytics.
Further Reading
CNA Report: Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears
CNA Talks: Nuclear Policy After the War in Ukraine
-
This episode examines the misinformation that spread after Hurricanes Helene and Milton and how individuals and institutions can help stop it.
Guest Bios
Dawn Thomas is a co-director of the Center for Emergency Management and Operations and director of the Center for Critical Incident Analysis. She is an expert in large-scale incident planning and response. She has worked on a large array of emergency preparedness issues, helping federal, regional, state, and local agencies prepare for and respond to biological attacks, active shooters, large-scale evacuations, medical evacuations, earthquakes and tsunamis, mass casualty chemical incidents, public health outbreaks, and cyberattacks.
Meg McBride is a Senior Research Scientist at CNA. Her expertise includes extremism, terrorism, radicalization, disinformation, and the evaluation of programs to prevent violent extremism. Her recent work has focused on psychological risk factors for radicalization and vulnerability and resilience to misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation.
Further Reading
CNA Report: The Psychology of (Dis)information: Case Studies and Implications
-
This episode explores the Kursk Offensive, Ukraine’s counter-invasion of Russia, and its implications for the United States and NATO.
Guest Biography
Michael Petersen is a Principal Research Scientist in CNA's Countering Threats and Challenges Program at CNA. He is an expert on Russian military strategy, operations, and net assessments of high-intensity conflict. From 2023-2024, he served as senior advisor to Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti. From 2015-2023, he was Professor and founding director of the Russia Maritime Studies Institute and the Holloway Advanced Research Program at the U.S. Naval War College. He’s also served with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council.
Further Reading
Russia Studies Program
*There was an audio issue in a previous version of this podcast. This edition is correct.
-
This episode covers the inception, development, and potential of CNA’s internal large language model, Morse Code.
Guest Biographies
Gregor Goodman is the Director and Chief Technology Officer in CNA’s Chief Information Office. He has 20 years of hands-on experience with technology and cyber security, from technical administration to consulting. His expertise is understanding business goals and aligning a technology posture to drive organizational growth.
-
Experts discuss victim-centered policing. How can it lead to better outcomes for crime victims and investigators, and how police departments can implement the practice.
Guest Biographies
Nicole Carroll is the Director of the Victim Services Unit at the Louisville Metro Police Department, where she ensures the rights and needs of crime victims and witnesses are met through quality programs and services, exercising supervision of subordinate personnel, and overseeing advocacy and service provision for victims involved in the criminal justice system of Jefferson County.
Lindsey Clancey is a Research Scientist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation and an expert in crime, justice, and victimology. Before joining CNA, Clancey was an associate teaching professor with the University of Missouri - Kansas City, where she served as the assistant undergraduate director for the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology.
Valerie Schmitt is a Research Scientist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation and an expert in domestic human trafficking responses, law enforcement training, and victim advocacy. She specializes in trauma-informed law enforcement responses to crime victims, mental health crises, and community engagement.
-
We cover CNA’s Force Design Lab, which helps shape the Navy's future by assessing the platforms, capabilities, and concepts that enable it to perform desired missions.
Guest Biographies
Gordon Jaquith is the Executive Director of CNA’s Department of Navy Relations and the Vice President and Director of CNA’s Systems, Tactics and Force Development Division. Before joining CNA, Gordon served as director of the Strategic, Defensive, and Science/Technology Division at the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
Jon Bollinger is a Senior Research Scientist with the Surface Warfare Team in the Systems, Tactics, and Force Development Division. He has been with CNA for four and a half years. His work is focused on the capabilities of long-range and overhead sensors and developing new computational approaches to optimize the employment of Navy surface assets.
Further Reading
CNA: A Novel Model of Cyber Combat -
One of the most prominent challenges organizations face when planning for the future is grappling with how unknown external factors will impact their organization. STEEP analysis allows planners to examine future Social, technical, economic, ecological, and political factors and plan for the opportunities and threats these factors will create.
In this episode, CNA’s Melissa Gutierrez and Heleana Melendez, Captain Jose Gurule from the Denver Sheriff's Department, and Danielle Rudes from Sam Houston State University join the show to discuss applying this framework to corrections.
Guest Biographies
Melissa Gutierrez is a Senior Research Specialist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. She is an expert in criminal justice research with a focus on gang networks and gun violence, including gun markets. At CNA, her work includes providing training and technical assistance on violent crime reduction programs and researching technology in law enforcement. Before joining CNA, Gutierrez worked at the Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety, where she participated in projects related to program evaluation, violent death surveillance, and unintentional overdose death surveillance.
Heleana Melendez is an associate research analyst with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. JRI works throughout the justice system, providing training and technical assistance (TTA), conducting research, and supporting nationwide organizational reform in agencies and jurisdictions. Ms. Melendez supports projects at CNA focused on violence prevention, system improvement, and use of force.
Danielle Rudes is a Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology at Sam Houston State University in Texas. She is also Deputy Director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!). She is a Fellow with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, focusing on Enhancing Correctional Spaces and Cultures. Dr. Rudes is an expert qualitative researcher with over 20 years of experience working with corrections agencies. She is recognized for her work examining how social control organizations understand, negotiate, and at times, resist change.
Captain Jose Gurule started his career in 2009 with the Conejos County Sheriff's Office. Rising to the rank of Division Commander for the Detention Division. In 2015, he began his tenure with the Denver Sheriff's Department. He has been assigned to direct supervision, intake unit, the field training program, ADA Liaison, LGBTQ+ liaison, and the Peer Support Team. Currently, he is the medical/classification/receiving unit commander. Overseeing the inmate classification/housing of two facilities with a combined housing capacity of 2693 inmates
Future Reading
Register for the Virtual Symposium Futurescape of Justice: Improving Public Safety
-
Today is the 60th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which led to the United States’ entry into the Vietnam War. In recognition of this event, we are bringing you a special episode of CNA Talks, featuring a group of historians with uniquely valuable perspectives on the incident. This discussion was originally held on August 5, 2023.
-
In September 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced a trilateral security agreement known as AUKUS. The partnership would allow Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US, and it would be an agreement that the partners would collaborate on advanced technology like artificial intelligence and autonomy.
In this episode, Ralph Espach and Stephanie Stapleton join the show to discuss their assessment of AUKUS’s implementation.
Guest Biographies
Ralph Espach is an expert in U.S.-Latin American relations, U.S. security assistance and cooperation in Latin America, and the assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of U.S. strategies and programs. His work focuses on U.S. security relations across the Americas, maritime security and naval issues, U.S. security cooperation efforts, and strategic risks such as Chinese and Russian regional relations and climate change.
Stephanie Stapleton is a nuclear policy specialist. Her research topics include strategic deterrence and competition, multipolarity, nuclear arms control, risk reduction, and US nuclear policy. Before joining CNA, she was the managing editor of the academic journal Peacebuilding and Development and taught at Georgia Highlands College.
-
Climate change is a complex and multifaceted problem that no actor can address alone. How can governments understand the impact of various actors in their jurisdiction and ensure that solutions are rolled out effectively and sustainably?
Dawn Thomas joins the show to discuss her work using ecosystem models to examine New Orleans’ efforts to tackle climate change.
Guest Biography
Dawn Thomas is a co-director of the Center for Emergency Management and Operations and director of the Center for Critical Incident Analysis. She is an expert in large-scale incident planning and response. She has worked on a large array of emergency preparedness issues, helping federal, regional, state and local agencies prepare for and respond to biological attacks, active shooters, large-scale evacuations, medical evacuations, earthquakes and tsunamis, mass casualty chemical incidents, public health outbreaks and cyberattacks.
-
The United States Navy is the most powerful naval force on earth, able to project power in every corner of the globe, but this mighty forces has humble beginings.
Just in time for Independence Day, Steve Wills, joins the show to discuss the Continetial Navy’s role in the American Revolution and how its legacy is reflected in the modern day US Navy.
Biographies
Steven Wills is an expert in U.S. Navy strategy and policy, and U.S. Navy surface warfare programs and platforms. As a Navy historian, his research interests include the history of U.S. Navy strategy development over the Cold War and immediate post-Cold War eras, and the post-World War II Navy surface fleet. He is also the Navalist for the Center for Maritime Strategy at the Navy League.
-
In this special Pride Month episode of CNA Talks, three members of CNA’s LGBTQ+ Affinity Group, Pride @ CNA, join the show! They discuss their experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community at CNA and research that CNA is exploring on interactions between community members and law enforcement.
Biographies
Dr. L. Cait Kanewske (they/them) is a Research Scientist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. Cait research interests include mental health-related interventions in the criminal justice system, juvenile justice, evidence-based policing in small, rural, and tribal jurisdictions, and the experiences of LGBTQ individuals in the criminal justice system. Cait serves as a principal investigator, project manager, and analyst on several federally funded research and training and technical assistance (TTA) projects related to policing and corrections.
Allie Land (she/her) is a Research Analyst with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. Her research interests include police technology (including body-worn cameras), organizational reform, and the experiences of LGBTQ individuals in the criminal justice system. Allie serves as an analyst and deputy program manager on several federally funded research and training and technical assistance (TTA) projects related to policing and corrections.
Mel Royer (they/them) is a User Computing Administrator in the Cloud Solutions Division. They provide tier 3 technical support and are system administrators for three networks. Mel is also involved in modernizing CNA's cloud footprint, and they are certified in both Azure and Amazon Web Service environments. They have been with CNA for three years and have been the LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group lead for two years.
Content Warning Markers
10:15-20:00: State Violence, Suicide, Self-Harm, Sexual Assault.
20:00-23:45: State/Legal Discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals
-
The Russian Federation is an example of a large authoritarian state whose military is subordinate to its civil government. But since the onset of the War in Ukraine, tensions have been growing between civilian and military leaders.
In this episode, Julian Waller joins John to discuss the current state of civil-military relations in Russia’s government and how the Wagner Group rebellion fits into this puzzle.
Biography
Julian G. Waller is a Research Analyst with CNA’s Russia Studies Program. He is an expert in the politics of authoritarian regimes in post-Soviet Eurasia and Europe, focusing on Russian and Ukrainian domestic political institutions and their relation to political-military issues.
Further Reading
CNA: Russian Military Logistics in the Ukraine War
-
Law Enforcement officers regularly confront traumatic circumstances that can adversely affect their mental and emotional health. In some cases, this can increase their risk of death by suicide.
In late 2023, the CNA partnered with First H.E.L.P. to undertake the first comprehensive analysis of its extensive dataset on law enforcement officer deaths by suicide. In this episode, CNA's Jessica Dockstader and First H.E.L.P's Karen Solomon join the show to discuss this report.
Guest Biographies
Jessica Dockstader is an Associate Research Analyst with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation. She is an expert in officer wellness with experience in the areas of suicide prevention, emotional wellness support, and substance use. She also supports a Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance-funded research project focused on officer safety and wellness.
Karen Solomon is co-founder of First H.E.L.P. and author of Hearts Beneath the Badge and The Price They Pay. Her focus is the stories of the families who have lost an officer to suicide and the officers who suffer from the feeling that they have nowhere to turn. Karen was a member of the 2018 Officer Safety and Wellness Group Meeting, co-chairing the Data and Research Committee of the National Consortium on Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention, and is currently on the FBI task force to implement the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act.
Further Reading
CNA: Law Enforcement Deaths by Suicide
-
Over the past 20 years, the People’s Republic of China has invested billions of dollars in African nations. But what impact have these investments had on the continent, and how have things changed in the wake of the dual global shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
Tim Ditter joins the show to answer these questions and discuss his research into China’s presence in Africa.
Guest Biographies
Timothy Ditter is a research scientist in CNA’s China Studies Program. His work covers PLA amphibious warfare, China’s military modernization and expansion, China’s growing nuclear weapons program, and China’s nascent global military presence.
Further Reading
CNA: PRC Illicit and Malign Activities in Africa
CNA: PRC Lending in Africa
-
Climate change increases the frequency, severity, and cost of extreme weather events. However, these events are not felt by everyone equally. Existing inequalities in our society exasperate the risks for vulnerable populations.
In this episode, Leola Abrahams and Mark Roberts discuss how extreme weather events impact older adults and Native Americans and how protecting our most vulnerable populations protects everyone.
Biographies
Leola Abraham is the program manager of CNA’s Center for Vulnerable Population Protection. She focuses on climate change, emergency management, public health, and justice reform. Leola is a senior communications practitioner with over 20 years of professional experience advising federal, state, and local government leaders, nonprofit organizations, and universities to deliver national and global programs and campaigns.
Mark Roberts is a Research Scientist with CNA’s Center for Justice Research and Innovation and an expert in domestic safety and security. He is a certified GIS Professional specializing in geospatial and supply chain analyses. His past work for CNA includes developing and facilitating a hybrid workshop for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine on prioritizing infrastructure resilience along the Gulf of Mexico.
Further Reading
CNA: The Impacts of Extreme Weather on Older Adults
-
The Russia‑Ukraine war marks the first large‑scale deployment and use of conventional ballistic and cruise missile technology. Because of this, the theater has become a test bed for missile technology and strategy and has revealed the strengths and weaknesses of contemporary missile forces and doctrines.
In this episode, Fabien Hoffman and Gabriela Rosa Hernandez join the show to discuss how both sides have used conventional weapons during the Ukraine War and the war's impact on strategic stability.
Biographies
Fabian Hoffmann is a Doctoral Research Fellow at the Oslo Nuclear Project (ONP). His research focuses on missile technology, nuclear strategy, and defense policy. His Ph.D. project examines the implications of conventional long-range strike weapons on nuclear strategy.
Gabriela Iveliz Rosa Hernandez is an Associate Research Analyst at the CNA Russia Studies Program. Her research centers on security orders, deterrence issues, and Russia’s security policy, supplemented by her significant in-country experience living in Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and other countries in the region. Her commentary has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and other media.
Further Reading
CNA: Strategic Stability and the Ukraine War Implications of Conventional Missile Technologies
-
Military operations in the physical domains all depend on the cyber domain. To ensure the success of traditional naval capabilities, the Navy and Marine Corps must project power in and through cyberspace while defending their systems and assets from adversary cyber capabilities. The side that most effectively sequences and synchronizes cyber effects will have a decisive advantage.
Department of the Navy (DON) Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor Joshua Reiter and CNA’s Ariel Michelman-Ribeiro join the show to discuss the DON Cyber Strategy.
Guest Biographies
Ariel Michelman-Ribeiro is a Principal Research Scientist in the Cyber, IT Systems, and Networks Program and has been with CNA for 13 years. In addition to directing projects, she is also CNA's Cyber Research Coordinator.
Joshua Reiter is the Deputy Principal Cyber Advisor (PCA) for the Department of the Navy, In this role, he is responsible for supporting the PCA in advising the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Commandant of the Marine Corps, and implementing the Department of Defense Cyber Strategy within the Department of the Navy.
Further Reading
Department of the Navy Cyber Strategy
-
In an age when the risks of cyberattacks are increasingly clear, the Zero Trust security model, built on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” is the new standard for cyber security. Like many organizations, CNA is working to implement the model throughout our organization.
Rizwan Jan, CNA’s Chief Information Officer, and cybersecurity expert Adam Monsalve join the show to discuss CNA’s journey to implement Zero Trust, how we can use that experience, and how we have leveraged this experience to better serve our clients and sponsors.
Biographies
Rizwan Jan is CNA's Chief Information Officer. He leads our technology and security practices while strengthening information systems. As CIO, he ensures the delivery of all information and technology capabilities required to successfully achieve CNA's mission.
Adam Monsalve is a Systems Engineer at CNA’s Center for Enterprise Systems Modernization. He is a cybersecurity expert who specializes in the intersection of uncrewed technologies and cybersecurity for multiple federal government clients.
Further Reading
NIST: Zero Trust Architecture
CISA: Zero Trust Maturity Model
- Montre plus
