
The Just Security Podcast
- Episodios
- 156
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- cada semana
- Último episodio
- 9 Oct 2026
Sobre el podcast
Just Security is an online forum for the rigorous analysis of national security, foreign policy, and rights. We aim to promote principled solutions to problems confronting decision-makers in the United States and abroad. Our expert authors are individuals with significant government experience, academics, civil society practitioners, individuals directly affected by national security policies, and other leading voices.
Episodios 156
How State and Local Governments Can Fight Back Against Authoritarianism
Erwin Chemerinsky and Aziz Huq discuss the powers and authorities that state and local governments can use to fight back against authoritarianism and serve as a check against federal overreach.Related …
Notas del episodio
Erwin Chemerinsky and Aziz Huq discuss the powers and authorities that state and local governments can use to fight back against authoritarianism and serve as a check against federal overreach.
Related Articles:
- “Fight Back: How States Can Counter Authoritarianism” Series, Sept. 21, 2026
- Erwin Chemerinsky and Aziz Z. Huq, Introduction to “Fight Back: How States Can Counter Authoritarianism” Series (Aug. 20, 2026)
- Jessica Bulman-Pozen, Commandeering, Coercion, and Executive Power (Aug. 21, 2026)
- Steven J. Kochevar, States Can Fight Federal Overreach by Protecting State Data (Aug. 26, 2026)
- Fred O. Smith, Jr., Collateral Accountability: The Oldest Check on Federal Lawlessness (Aug. 28, 2026)
- Catherine E. Lhamon, State Imperatives to Protect Civil Rights for All (Sept. 2, 2026)
- Jill Habig, Cities as Nodes of Resistance (Sept. 4, 2026)
- Miriam Seifter, Governors and State Administration (Sept. 9, 2026)
- David L. Noll, State Attorneys General Can Enforce Federal Laws the Executive Branch Won’t (Sept. 21, 2026)
What Happened at the 2026 UN General Assembly?
Daniel Forti and Mariea Sekijima of the International Crisis Group join host Viola Gienger to discuss the most important developments from the 2026 United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week.Related …
Notas del episodio
Daniel Forti and Mariea Sekijima of the International Crisis Group join host Viola Gienger to discuss the most important developments from the 2026 United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week.
Related Articles:
- As Leaders Gather at the U.N. General Assembly, Competition May Outdo Cooperation by Richard Gowan, Daniel Forti and Mariea Sekijima, Sept. 17, 2026
- Reading the Signals of China’s U.N. Security Council Role in the Afghanistan Mission Renewal by Richard Gowan and Daniel Forti, July 31, 2026
- U.N. Secretary-General Candidates May Agree More than They Differ on the Way Forward by Nudhara Yusuf, Justin Snyder and Eirini Giannopoulou, Aug. 5, 2026
For all of Just Security’s U.N. General Assembly coverage, see: UN General Assembly (UNGA) Archives - Just Security
For Just Security’s United Nations coverage writ large, see: United Nations Archives – Just Security
Resources:
What's Behind the Justice Department's FARA Announcement?
Host David Aaron joins Adam Hickey to discuss an unusual announcement from the Department of Justice on the Foreign Agents Registration Act and Section 951.Show Note:Office of Public Affairs | Liability for …
Notas del episodio
Host David Aaron joins Adam Hickey to discuss an unusual announcement from the Department of Justice on the Foreign Agents Registration Act and Section 951.
Show Note:
25 Years After 9/11: The State of U.S. National Security, Intelligence, and Alliances Today
Co-hosts Ryan Goodman and Tess Bridgeman are joined by Daniel Fried and Nicholas Rasmussen to discuss how the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the United States’ responses to it have shaped U.S …
Notas del episodio
Co-hosts Ryan Goodman and Tess Bridgeman are joined by Daniel Fried and Nicholas Rasmussen to discuss how the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the United States’ responses to it have shaped U.S. national security, foreign policy, and alliances.
Show Note (related articles):
Has the United States Violated the Law of Armed Conflict in the Iran War?
Host Ryan Goodman is joined by Tom Dannenbaum, Margaret Donovan, and Todd Huntley to discuss whether the United States has violated the law of armed conflict in its conduct of the Iran war. They discuss what …
Notas del episodio
Host Ryan Goodman is joined by Tom Dannenbaum, Margaret Donovan, and Todd Huntley to discuss whether the United States has violated the law of armed conflict in its conduct of the Iran war. They discuss what evidence would be required to make that determination and what to watch for as the war continues.
Show Notes:
- Collection: Iran, Israel and the United States at War (2025-2026 Operations) (continually updated)
- Mark Nevitt, Five “Blockades” and One Legal Problem: Naval Enforcement in the U.S.–Iran Conflict (May 1, 2026)
- Tess Bridgeman and Oona A. Hathaway, At the 60-Day Mark, the Iran War is Triply Illegal
- Brian Finucane, On the State Department Memorandum “Operation Epic Fury and International Law” (April 24, 2026)
- Michael Schmitt, Tess Bridgeman and Ryan Goodman, On Ambassador Waltz’s Defense of Potential Law of War Violations in the Iran Conflict (April 22, 2026)
- Tom Dannenbaum, Rebecca Hamilton, Adil Ahmad Haque, Oona A. Hathaway and Gabor Rona, Over 100 International Law Experts Warn: U.S. Strikes on Iran Violate UN Charter and May Be War Crimes (April 13, 2026)
- Margaret Donovan and Rachel VanLandingham, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.), When War Crimes Rhetoric Becomes Battlefield Reality: The Slippery Slope to Total War on Iran (April 6, 2026)
Murder on the High Seas Part VI
Co-Hosts Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to discuss how the Trump administration’s campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the …
Notas del episodio
Co-Hosts Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to discuss how the Trump administration’s campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific has escalated and evolved in the year since the strikes began. The conversation examines the administration’s legal justifications for the strikes, the potential for escalation to targets on land, and what the creation of Joint Task Force - Western Hemisphere could mean for the campaign’s future.
This installment is part six of the “Murder on the High Seas” series, produced in collaboration with the Reiss Center on Law and Security.
Show Notes:
- Just Security’s Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Absolute Resolve
- Jeremy Chin, Margaret Lin, and Aidan Arasasingham, Timeline of Boat Strikes and Related Actions (continually updated)
- Tess Bridgeman, Michael Schmitt, Ryan Goodman, and Brian Finucane, Key Questions on U.S. Killing Tren de Aragua Leader Inside Venezuela (June 15, 2026)
- Brian Finucane, “Did the United States just Bomb Ecuador?” (Mar. 13, 2026)
- Rebecca Ingber, The Trump Administration’s Theory of Constitutional War Powers: “The President Could Decide” (Mar. 2, 2026)
- Edward Swaine, Can the U.S. Government Be Sued for Wrongful Death in a Caribbean Boat Strike? (Jan. 29, 2026)
- Tess Bridgeman and Brian Finucane, War Powers, Venezuela, Drug Boats, and Congress (Jan. 12, 2026)
- Tess Bridgeman, Michael Schmitt, and Ryan Goodman, Expert Q&A on U.S. Military Action in Venezuela and Boat Strikes (Jan. 6, 2026)
- Michael Schmitt, Marko Milanovic, The International Law Obligation to Investigate the Boat Strikes (Dec. 15, 2025)
- Mark Nevitt, The Law on Targeting Shipwrecked Drug Traffickers: Expert Backgrounder (Dec. 11, 2025)
- Michael Schmitt, Ryan Goodman and Tess Bridgeman, Operation Southern Spear: Why the Crews, Drugs, and Boats are Not Targetable (Dec. 7, 2025)
- Michael Schmitt, Ryan Goodman and Tess Bridgeman, Unlawful Orders and Killing Shipwrecked Boat Strike Survivors: An Expert Backgrounder (Dec. 1, 2025)
- Daniel Maurer, Hypothetical Legal Review of Narcotrafficking Strikes (Nov. 18, 2025)
- Michael Schmitt, Marko Milanovic, and Ryan Goodman, The International Law Obligation of States to Stop Intelligence Support for U.S. Boat Strikes (Nov. 17, 2025)
- Brian Finucane, Dissecting the Trump Administration’s Effort to Circumvent the War Powers Resolution for Boat Strikes (Nov. 3, 2025)
- Rebecca Ingber and Jessica Thibodeau, Expert Backgrounder on War Powers Resolution 60-Day Clock for Boat Strikes Expiring Monday (Oct. 31, 2025)
Previously on “Murder on the High Seas”
- Tess Bridgeman, Rachel Goldbrenner, Rebecca Ingber, and Brian Finucane, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part V (May 7, 2026)
- Tess Bridgeman, Rachel Goldbrenner, Rebecca Ingber, and Brian Finucane, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part IV (Dec. 2, 2025)
- Tess Bridgeman, Brian Finucane, and Rebecca Ingber, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part III (Oct. 21, 2025, also available on YouTube)
- Tess Bridgeman, Brian Finucane, Rachel Goldbrenner, and Rebecca Ingber, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part II — What We Know about U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In (Oct. 7, 2025)
- Tess Bridgeman, Brian Finucane, and Rebecca Ingber, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas? What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel (Sept. 9, 2025, also available on YouTube)
Uncharted Territory: The Alien Terrorist Removal Court Hears Its First Case
Host Dani Schulkin is joined by Steve Vladeck and Jess Dawgert to discuss the first-ever case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. They explain what the court is, why it sat unused for thirty years, and …
Notas del episodio
Host Dani Schulkin is joined by Steve Vladeck and Jess Dawgert to discuss the first-ever case before the Alien Terrorist Removal Court. They explain what the court is, why it sat unused for thirty years, and what its first case means for due process and the immigration system.
Show Note (related articles and links):
- https://www.justsecurity.org/148285/the-alien-terrorist-removal-courts-first-case/
- https://www.justsecurity.org/149897/alien-terrorist-removal-court-immigration/
- https://www.atrc.uscourts.gov/
And for all of Just Security's coverage of immigration, see:
What Next at Int’l Criminal Court After the Prosecutor’s Removal?
Host Ryan Goodman is joined by guests Rebecca Hamilton and Alex Whiting, experts with deep experience in the practice and study of international criminal law, to discuss the recent vote by states to remove …
Notas del episodio
Host Ryan Goodman is joined by guests Rebecca Hamilton and Alex Whiting, experts with deep experience in the practice and study of international criminal law, to discuss the recent vote by states to remove Karim Khan as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, effective immediately, for sexual misconduct against a junior staff member. They discuss what this investigation – and its defense – has meant for the ICC as an institution and for its ongoing cases, and what comes next for the ICC and its members.
Show Notes:
- https://www.justsecurity.org/149478/future-international-criminal-court/
- https://www.justsecurity.org/148713/icc-prosecutor-removal-vote/
- https://www.justsecurity.org/125682/new-icc-prosecutor-regardless-un-report/
And for all of Just Security’s coverage of the ICC, see:
https://www.justsecurity.org/tag/international-criminal-court/
Reporting at a Crossroads (Co-Hosted with the Reiss Center on Law and Security)
A free and independent press has long been understood as a core element of healthy and secure democracies. Particularly in the realm of national security and foreign policy, news reporting and investigations …
Notas del episodio
A free and independent press has long been understood as a core element of healthy and secure democracies. Particularly in the realm of national security and foreign policy, news reporting and investigations are an integral source of information that enables the American public to evaluate the decisions of their elected officials. Yet today the press is facing new or newly acute challenges arising from the executive branch, Congress, and even the media industry itself—all unfolding against the backdrop of an already-siloed and mistrustful information landscape.
What is it like to lead a newsroom and report on national security issues today? Which legal issues are top of mind for media and free speech lawyers and scholars? What are the most pressing challenges and opportunities? On May 18, the Reiss Center on Law and Security and Just Security convened a discussion with frontline experts to address these questions.
Show Note:
- The Trump Administration's Use of State Power Against Media: Keeping Track of the Big Picture by Rebecca Hamilton
- Just Security’s Freedom of the Press Archive
The Latest on International Anti-Corruption Enforcement
Over the past year, U.S. anti-corruption policy has undergone significant shifts — from changes in FCPA enforcement to sanctions rollbacks and institutional drawdowns — raising questions about America’s global …
Notas del episodio
Over the past year, U.S. anti-corruption policy has undergone significant shifts — from changes in FCPA enforcement to sanctions rollbacks and institutional drawdowns — raising questions about America’s global role. At the same time, anti-corruption movements are gaining momentum worldwide. Dani Schulkin speaks with Richard Nephew and Bruce Swartz about what these trends mean for enforcement, international cooperation, and the future of the anti-corruption agenda.
Show Note:
Murder on the High Seas Part V
Co-Hosts Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to examine the escalating U.S. campaign of killings of suspected drug traffickers at sea under “Operation Southern …
Notas del episodio
Co-Hosts Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to examine the escalating U.S. campaign of killings of suspected drug traffickers at sea under “Operation Southern Spear” following the January 2026 capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The conversation explores the U.S. military operations in Venezuela and the intensifying campaign of lethal strikes in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, unpacks the Trump administration’s legal justifications, and looks at potential avenues for accountability. This installment is part five of the “Murder on the High Seas” series, produced in collaboration with the Reiss Center on Law and Security.
Show Note:
- Just Security’s Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Absolute Resolve
- Jeremy Chin, Margaret Lin, Aidan Arasasingham, and Marie Miller, Timeline of Vessel Strikes and Related Actions (Nov. 21, 2025, updated regularly)
- Rebecca Ingber, The Trump Administration’s Theory of Constitutional War Powers: “The President Could Decide (March 2, 2026)
- Edward Swaine, Can the U.S. Government Be Sued for Wrongful Death in a Caribbean Boat Strike? (Jan. 29, 2026)
- Tess Bridgeman and Brian Finucane, War Powers, Venezuela, Drug Boats, and Congress (Jan. 12, 2026)
- Tess Bridgeman, Michael Schmitt, and Ryan Goodman, Expert Q&A on U.S. Military Action in Venezuela and Boat Strikes (Jan. 6, 2026)
- Michael Schmitt, Marko Milanovic, The International Law Obligation to Investigate the Boat Strikes (Dec. 15, 2025)
- Mark Nevitt, The Law on Targeting Shipwrecked Drug Traffickers: Expert Backgrounder (Dec. 11, 2025)
Previously on “Murder on the High Seas”
- Tess Bridgeman, Rachel Goldbrenner, Rebecca Ingber, and Brian Finucane, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part IV (Dec. 2, 2025)
- Tess Bridgeman, Brian Finucane, and Rebecca Ingber, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part III (Oct. 21, 2025, also available on YouTube)
- Tess Bridgeman, Brian Finucane, Rachel Goldbrenner, and Rebecca Ingber, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part II — What We Know about U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In (Oct. 7, 2025)
- Tess Bridgeman, Brian Finucane, and Rebecca Ingber, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas? What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel (Sept. 9, 2025, also available on YouTube)
Former FBI General Counsel Weissmann on FISA Reforms
Should the FBI be allowed to access the content of Americans’ communications–emails, texts and phone calls–without obtaining a judicial warrant? That’s a key question facing Congress, with a looming deadline of …
Notas del episodio
Should the FBI be allowed to access the content of Americans’ communications–emails, texts and phone calls–without obtaining a judicial warrant? That’s a key question facing Congress, with a looming deadline of April 30th. The question is wrapped up in the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702, which will sunset at the end of this month.
I had the opportunity to interview Andrew Weissmann, who served as FBI General Counsel in addition to other positions in the Department of Justice. Below are three highlights from our conversation. Our conversation is available as a video on this page as well as YouTube and soon as a podcast.]
A bit of background before the excerpts below: Section 702 allows U.S. intelligence agencies to collect the email, text, and phone conversations of foreign nationals located in foreign countries. As a byproduct, Americans’ communications are caught in the surveillance net as well. Subject to limitations that Congress introduced in 2024, the FBI can dip into that vast database to look for communications of Americans – without a warrant and without probable cause of wrongdoing.
Congress is presented with a three-prong fork in the road: reauthorize the tool as is, reform it with new warrant requirements, or let it sunset entirely. (For competing views on this topic at Just Security, see analysis by George Croner and by Elizabeth Goitein and Hannah James.)
Hungary After Orban
Hungary’s April 12 parliamentary election brought a major political shift. After 16 years in power, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party lost to opposition leader Peter Magyar, whose coalition now holds a …
Notas del episodio
Hungary’s April 12 parliamentary election brought a major political shift. After 16 years in power, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party lost to opposition leader Peter Magyar, whose coalition now holds a strong parliamentary majority. The result marks a new chapter in Hungary’s politics after years of debate about democratic accountability, media independence, and relations within the European Union.
In this episode, Szuzanna Vegh joins Viola Gienger to explore how the opposition achieved its win, what priorities Magyar may set for his government, and how Hungary’s domestic and foreign policies could evolve.
Show Note:
- Zsuzsanna Vegh’s Just Security article before the election, “Hungary’s Election Could End Orbán’s Rule — But Will It End His Power?” April 7, 2026.
- Just Security’s archive of articles related to Hungary.
- Just Security’s archives on Europe, democracy, and authoritarianism.
Sudan Enters Its Fourth Year of Civil War
The North African country of Sudan marks a grim anniversary this week: the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting a civil war for three years, creating the world’s worst …
Notas del episodio
The North African country of Sudan marks a grim anniversary this week: the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been fighting a civil war for three years, creating the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. About 14 million people have been forced to flee the fighting, often multiple times, and 4.4 million have fled to other countries, mostly to Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt, but also some to Europe. Today, one in four Sudanese is displaced. The U.N.’s Food and Agricultural Organization says 21 million Sudanese are facing acute food insecurity, including 6.3 million in the most dire state of food emergency.
Quscondy Abdulshafi joins host Viola Gienger to discuss how Sudan got to this point, how the international community has responded, and where to go next.
Show Notes:
- Quscondy Abdulshafi's April 2025 article for Just Security, "Two Years of War in Sudan: From Revolution to Ruin and the Fight to Rise Again."
- Rachel George’s recent article for Just Security, “Amid Shaky Cea sefire, War in Iran Is Starving Sudan.”
- Just Security Podcast episode “Assessing the Origins, Dynamics, and Future of Conflict in Sudan” with Executive Editor Matiangai Sirleaf, and three experts, Laura Nyantung Beny, Nisrin Elamin, Hamid Khalafallah, on Oct. 11, 2024.
- Just Security’s Sudan Archive
What Does it Really Mean to be a U.S. Territory?
Trump's threats to forcibly take control of Greenland brought to the headlines the alarming notion of the United States seeking new territories, from a European ally. But the United States already faces …
Notas del episodio
Trump's threats to forcibly take control of Greenland brought to the headlines the alarming notion of the United States seeking new territories, from a European ally. But the United States already faces pressing issues of territorial control and governance. In this podcast, we share the perspectives of two leaders who work on democracy, equity, and self-determination issues in current U.S. territories. Why does the United States hold territories? How are they governed? And what does the contrast between Denmark’s relationship with Greenland and Washington’s treatment of its territories tell us about how these relationships might change?
In this episode of the Just Security Podcast, Just Security co-editor-in-chief Tess Bridgeman discusses these questions and more with Neil Weare and Adi Martínez-Román. Neil and Adi are both lawyers, and are Co-Directors of Right to Democracy, an organization that works to advance democracy, equity, and self-determination in U.S. territories.
Show Note:
- Neil Weare and Adi Martinez-Roman, How Greenland's Relationship with Denmark Exposes the Shortcomings of Being a “U.S. Territory” (Feb. 3, 2026)
- Collection: U.S., Greenland, and NATO
- Watch this episode on YouTube.
Can the U.S. Seize Russian Flagged Oil Tankers?
Prior to the U.S. attacks that dislodged president Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, American forces have for weeks been blockading U.S.-sanctioned ships carrying Venezuelan oil. In mid-December, the United States …
Notas del episodio
Prior to the U.S. attacks that dislodged president Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, American forces have for weeks been blockading U.S.-sanctioned ships carrying Venezuelan oil. In mid-December, the United States began boarding, and seizing, tankers in the so‑called “shadow fleet” that move sanctioned oil across the globe, starting with stateless vessels. In a dramatic turn, this week the U.S. Coast Guard, with U.S. and allied military support, intercepted and boarded two Russian-flagged oil tankers in international waters, prompting protests from Moscow.
Can the U.S. lawfully board and seize Russian‑flagged merchant ships? What does international maritime law, and the law of naval warfare, have to say about actions like these? To unpack the legal and geopolitical stakes, host Tess Bridgeman speaks with Rob McLaughlin, professor at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security and the ANU College of Law, who previously served as both a Seaman officer and Legal officer in the Royal Australian Navy, including in senior roles such as Fleet Legal Officer, Strategic Legal Adviser, Director of Operations and International Law, and Director of the Naval Legal Service.
Show Note:
- Elizabeth Hutton, Maritime Law Enforcement on the High Seas: Authority, Jurisdiction, and the Seizure of The Skipper An Expert Backgrounder (Dec. 22, 2025)
- Rob McLaughlin and Connor McLaughlin, Was the Visit and Seizure of the Skipper off the Coast of Venezuela Lawful? (Dec. 17, 2025)
- See also Question 31 in Tess Bridgeman, Michael Schmitt, and Ryan Goodman, Expert Q&A on the U.S. Boat Strikes (Dec. 13, 2025)
- Michael Schmitt and Rob McLaughlin, Blockading Venezuela: The International Law Consequences (Dec. 18, 2025)
- Michael Schmitt, Ryan Goodman and Tess Bridgeman, International Law and the U.S. Military and Law Enforcement Operations in Venezuela (Jan. 4, 2026)
- Just Security’s Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers, Operation Southern Spear, Operation Absolute Resolve
Can the U.S. Still Lead on Anti-Corruption? Understanding the Combating Global Corruption Act
The Combating Global Corruption Act marks a new chapter in how the U.S. approaches corruption abroad. For the first time, the State Department must publicly rank foreign governments based on their …
Notas del episodio
The Combating Global Corruption Act marks a new chapter in how the U.S. approaches corruption abroad. For the first time, the State Department must publicly rank foreign governments based on their anti-corruption efforts–evaluations that may carry real consequences for foreign aid, diplomacy, and sanctions. Yet the rollout comes at a moment of contradiction. As the United States positions itself to evaluate corruption abroad, it is facing an erosion of accountability mechanisms at home.
In this episode, Dani Schulkin is joined by former State Department officials Sky Miller and Adam Keith about the promises and pitfalls of the act, and what this tension reveals about America’s ability to lead and enforce anti-corruption efforts worldwide.
Show Note:
- “Global Corruption, Local Hypocrisy: The Promises and Pitfalls of the U.S. Combating Global Corruption Act” by Schuyler Miller and Adam Keith (December 9, 2025)
- When the Guardrails Erode Series by Dani Schulkin, Amy Markopolous, and Maya Nir
Murder on the High Seas Part IV
The Trump administration has continued its campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers at sea. To date, 83 people have reportedly been killed in 21 strikes. The strikes have met increasing …
Notas del episodio
The Trump administration has continued its campaign of lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers at sea. To date, 83 people have reportedly been killed in 21 strikes. The strikes have met increasing scrutiny both inside the United States and abroad, with some close U.S. allies reportedly suspending intelligence sharing over concerns of the illegality of the campaign, and recently surfaced reporting of the deliberate killing of two strike survivors receiving rare bipartisan attention from Congress.
On the fourth installment of the Murder on the High Seas series, cross-posted with NYU Law School’s Reiss Center on Law and Security, co-hosts Tess Bridgeman and Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to discuss the latest developments.
Show Note:
- Murder on the High Seas Part III (Oct. 21, 2025, also available on YouTube)
- Murder on the High Seas Part II — What We Know about U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In (Oct. 7, 2025, also available on YouTube)
- Murder on the High Seas? What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel (Sep. 9, 2025, also available on YouTube)
- Unlawful Orders and Killing Shipwrecked Boat Strike Survivors: An Expert Backgrounder by Michael Schmitt, Ryan Goodman, and Tess Bridgeman (Dec. 1, 2025)
- Timeline of Vessel Strikes and Related Actions by Jeremy Chin, Margaret Lin, and Aidan Arasasingham (Nov. 21, 2025, updated regularly)
- Just Security’s Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers
- The NYU Law Reiss Center on Law and Security’s War Powers Resolution Reporting Project
Is there a Fox in the Henhouse? A Comparative Perspective of State Capture in the U.S.
Across the world, we’re witnessing a transformation in how corruption operates. It’s not just about individual bribery or isolated misconduct. In many places, powerful actors are reshaping state institutions …
Notas del episodio
Across the world, we’re witnessing a transformation in how corruption operates. It’s not just about individual bribery or isolated misconduct. In many places, powerful actors are reshaping state institutions themselves— weakening oversight, insulating allies from consequences, and redirecting public power toward private gain. This deeper structural transformation is often called state capture, and it has altered political systems from South Africa to Guatemala to Sri Lanka.
What is this form of corruption? How does it impact human rights? How can it be countered?
On this episode of the Just Security Podcast, Host Dani Schulkin is joined by Naomi Roht-Arriaza, Distinguished Professor of Law at UC Hastings and anti-corruption expert, to discuss the warning signs of this type of corruption, how the United States is showing worrying parallels, and what can be done to push back against it.
Show Notes:
- “Is the U.S. Becoming a Captured State? A Comparative Perspective,” by Naomi Roht-Arriaza on Just Security
- “When Guardrails Erode” Series by Dani Schulkin, Amy Markopolous, and Maya Nir on Just Security
- “The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability,” by Dani Schulkin, Amy Markopolous, and Maya Nir on Just Security
- Fighting Grand Corruption: Transnational and Human Rights Approaches in Latin America and Beyond by Naomi Roht-Arriaza
Examining the Trump Administration’s New Antifa Designations
On Nov. 13, the Trump administration took the unprecedented step of adding four groups in Europe to the U.S. government’s list of specially designated global terrorists (SDGTs). The administration also stated …
Notas del episodio
On Nov. 13, the Trump administration took the unprecedented step of adding four groups in Europe to the U.S. government’s list of specially designated global terrorists (SDGTs). The administration also stated its intent to add each of these entities to the State Department’s list of designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), claiming that all four are affiliated with “Antifa.”
The development marks an escalation in the administration’s efforts to recast anti-fascist activism as a matter of national security, carrying far-reaching legal and political consequences. Experts think the move could lay the groundwork for targeting organizations and activists here in the United States, potentially undermining the right to free speech.
Tom Joscelyn, a senior fellow at Just Security, is joined by Tom Brzozowski, former counsel for Domestic Terrorism at the U.S. Department of Justice, to discuss what the new designations mean for civil liberties, and how they might reshape the boundaries of permissible speech and association.
Show Notes:
- “How Designating Antifa as a Foreign Terrorist Organization Could Threaten Civil Liberties” by Tom Brzozowski (Just Security, October 27, 2025)
- Just Security’s Terrorism and Violent Extremism Archive
- Just Security’s Counterterrorism Archive
Reflections on International Law Weekend 2025: An International Law Chats x Just Security Podcast Crossover Episode
International law professors Chiara Giorgetti, Milena Sterio, and Rebecca Hamilton join Just Security’s Managing Editor, Megan Corrarino, to discuss takeaways from the American Branch of the International Law …
Notas del episodio
International law professors Chiara Giorgetti, Milena Sterio, and Rebecca Hamilton join Just Security’s Managing Editor, Megan Corrarino, to discuss takeaways from the American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA)’s Oct. 23-25 International Law Weekend.
In this special episode co-produced with ABILA’s International Law Chats podcast, which Giorgetti and Sterio co-host along with Alison Macdonald KC, the guests — each of whom also participated in International Law Weekend — discuss the weekend’s theme, “Crisis as Catalyst on International Law”; takeaways from panels on topics ranging from the proposed Crimes against Humanity Treaty to international environmental law and more; and how international lawyers and law students might think about their role in the present moment.
Show Note:
- International Law Chats - an ABILA podcast
- Crisis as Catalyst in International Law by Michael P. Scharf (October 16, 2025)
- Crisis as Catalyst: Past, Present, and Future of International Law by William J. Aceves, Amity Boye and Jessica Peake (October 21, 2025)
- A Series on the Occasion of ABILA’s International Law Weekend 2025
Murder on the High Seas Part III
Since early September, President Donald Trump has ordered a series of U.S. military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea the administration claims are linked to drug trafficking groups, leaving 32 people …
Notas del episodio
Since early September, President Donald Trump has ordered a series of U.S. military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea the administration claims are linked to drug trafficking groups, leaving 32 people dead. One recent strike left two survivors, briefly detained by the U.S. military, and now reportedly repatriated to Colombia and Ecuador. The latest strike was reported by the Trump administration to have targeted suspected drug traffickers affiliated with a Colombian rebel group. The White House continues to defend the killings as part of a so-called war on “narco-terrorists,” while legal experts have resoundingly rejected the administration’s claims to wartime authorities.
Tess Bridgeman is joined by Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to assess the latest strikes, the brief detention of two survivors, where the campaign may be headed, and what it signals for executive power, accountability, and oversight moving forward.
Show Notes:
- Tess Bridgeman, Brian Finucane, Rebecca Ingber, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas Part II What We Know About the U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In (October 7, 2025, also available on YouTube)
- Tess Bridgeman, Brian Finucane, Rebecca Ingber, The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas? What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel (September 9, 2025, also available on YouTube)
- Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers (Just Security)
- War Powers Resolution Reporting Project (Reiss Center for Law and Security)
Murder on the High Seas Part II: What We Know about U.S. Vessel Strikes One Month In
Since early September, President Trump has ordered the U.S. military to conduct multiple lethal strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea suspected of drug trafficking, resulting in at least 21 deaths. What do we …
Notas del episodio
Since early September, President Trump has ordered the U.S. military to conduct multiple lethal strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea suspected of drug trafficking, resulting in at least 21 deaths.
What do we actually know about the people killed and the vessels targeted? What legal justification is the administration putting forward for the killings— and is it viable? Is there anything to stop the President from making further “terrorist” designations, of citizens or non-citizens, and ordering the military to kill those he designates, including within the United States? What checks exist — from Congress, courts, or within the executive branch itself — on the president’s claimed authority to order killings in these circumstances?
On this episode of the Just Security Podcast, cross-hosted with the Reiss Center on Law and Security, host Tess Bridgeman and co-host Rachel Goldbrenner are joined by experts Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane to analyze the facts, the law, and the broader implications of this military campaign in the Caribbean.Show Notes:
This is a joint podcast of Just Security and NYU Law School’s Reiss Center on Law and Security.
Executive branch reporting on the vessel strikes, on Tren de Aragua, and related resources:
- 48-Hour Report pursuant to the War Powers Resolution (September 4, 2025) (Note: For a living resource containing this and all other publicly available reports submitted pursuant to the War Powers Resolution since its enactment in 1973, see NYU Law’s Reiss Center on Law and Security’s War Powers Resolution Reporting Project)
- Notice to Congress Under 50 U.S.C. §1543a (Section 1230 of the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act) (undated, made public October 2, 2025)
- National Intelligence Council, Venezuela: Examining Regime Ties to Tren de Aragua (April 7, 2025)
Listeners may also be interested in Just Security‘s Collection: U.S. Lethal Strikes on Suspected Drug Traffickers (updated, Oct. 3, 2025), including:
- Mary B. McCord and Tess Bridgeman, What the Senate Judiciary Committee Should Ask A.G. Bondi on Drug Cartel Strikes (Oct. 3, 2025)
- Marty Lederman, Legal Flaws in the Trump Administration’s Notice to Congress on “Armed Conflict” with Drug Cartels (Oct. 3, 2025)
- Daniel Maurer, US Servicemembers’ Exposure to Criminal Liability for Lethal Strikes on Narcoterrorists (September 24, 2025)
- Ben Saul, The United States’ Dirty War on “Narco Terrorism” (September 22, 2025)
- Annie Shiel, John Ramming Chappell, Priyanka Motaparthy, Wells Dixon and Daphne Eviatar, Murder by Drone: The Legal and Moral Stakes of the Caribbean Strikes (September 17, 2025)
- Brian Finucane, Asserting a License to Kill: Why the Caribbean Strike is a Dangerous Departure from the “War on Terror (September 15, 2025)
- Marty Lederman,
Misogyny’s Role in Violent Extremism
Leading scholar on domestic violent extremism and prevention strategies, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, joins Just Security Senior Fellow Tom Joscelyn to discuss her new book, Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of …
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Leading scholar on domestic violent extremism and prevention strategies, Cynthia Miller-Idriss, joins Just Security Senior Fellow Tom Joscelyn to discuss her new book, Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism. They explore the intersection of gender, radicalization, and violence.
Show Note:
- Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism (Princeton University Press) by Cynthia Miller-Idriss
- Just Security’s Domestic Violent Extremism archive
What Just Happened: CISA and the Fate of U.S. Cybersecurity
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 is set to expire at the end of this month on September 30, 2025. The Act removes barriers to companies sharing information about cyber threats …
Notas del episodio
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) of 2015 is set to expire at the end of this month on September 30, 2025. The Act removes barriers to companies sharing information about cyber threats, addressing privacy concerns and requires the federal government to share threat information. Many consider CISA one of the foundations of U.S. cybersecurity efforts.
As Congress considers whether or not to reauthorize CISA, former Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI cyber division, Cynthia Kaiser, joins David Aaron to discuss the importance of the legislation and highlight the risks of failing to reauthorize it.
Show Note:
- “The Next Cyber Breach Will Not Wait: Why Congress Must Reauthorize CISA 2015” by Simin Kargar for Just Security
- Just Security’s CISA coverage
- Just Security's Cybersecurity coverage
Sen. Elissa Slotkin on a New Vision for American National Security
Last week, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) unveiled a new “national security war plan,” centered on reviving the middle class, winning the global tech race, and rethinking how Americans are protected in an era of …
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Last week, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) unveiled a new “national security war plan,” centered on reviving the middle class, winning the global tech race, and rethinking how Americans are protected in an era of shifting threats and changing geopolitical realities.
Senator Slotkin joins Just Security’s editors-in-chief Ryan Goodman and Tess Bridgeman to discuss the relationship between economic security and national security, the tools Congress should use to defend against threats to our democracy, the role for congressional oversight in domestic use of the military and in the recent military attack on a suspected drug smuggling vessel in the Caribbean, how the United States should engage with China in an era of increasing competition and cooperation, and a range of other national security and foreign policy priorities.
Show Notes:
- Senator Elissa Slotkin’s launch of her new vision for American national security and foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.
- Just Security’s AI and Emerging Technology Archive
- Just Security’s Congress Archive
Murder on the High Seas? What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel
Last week, the United States carried out an unprecedented strike against a vessel suspected of narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean, destroying the vessel and reportedly killing 11 people on board. This …
Notas del episodio
Last week, the United States carried out an unprecedented strike against a vessel suspected of narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean, destroying the vessel and reportedly killing 11 people on board. This action raises highly concerning questions about the process followed within the U.S. government: how and by whom was the strike authorized? Why was it carried out by U.S. armed forces? And what kind of accountability or pushback might we see from Congress, in courts, or within the government itself?
Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane join Tess Bridgeman to unpack the attack, the limited justifications the administration has put forward to date, and what to expect from here.
Show Notes:
- Legal Issues Raised by Lethal U.S. Military Attack in the Caribbean by Brian Finucane
- Labels, Not Law, to Justify Lethal Force: Venezuela Boat Strike by Mark Nevitt
What Just Happened: John Bolton Search Warrants
David Aaron is joined by Mary McCord and Zachary Myers to discuss last week’s search of the office and residence of former National Security Advisor John Bolton. The experts unpack what the execution of these …
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David Aaron is joined by Mary McCord and Zachary Myers to discuss last week’s search of the office and residence of former National Security Advisor John Bolton. The experts unpack what the execution of these warrants means, and what we should expect next in this unfolding investigation.
Show Notes:
- Letter from Adm. Michael S. Rogers, Director, NSA submitted in United States v. Pho, 1:17-cr-00631 (GLR), ECF 20-1 (Sept. 18, 2018)
- Willfulness and the Harm of Unlawful Retention of National Security Information by David Aaron (Dec. 2, 2022)
- “Secret Evidence in Public Trials” by David Aaron (June 6, 2023)
- Just Security Podcast: Insiders’ Views of Espionage Act Trials (July 17, 2023)
- Just Security’s coverage of John Bolton
What Just Happened: Federalization of DC Law Enforcement, Legal Authorities and Updates
The Trump administration’s unprecedented federalization of policing in Washington, D.C. raises significant legal and policy questions about the Executive Branch’s power over the Metropolitan Police Department …
Notas del episodio
The Trump administration’s unprecedented federalization of policing in Washington, D.C. raises significant legal and policy questions about the Executive Branch’s power over the Metropolitan Police Department and the use of National Guard forces from D.C. and other states, among other pressing topics. To break down the latest developments, host David Aaron is joined by Brian Netter, Legal Director at Democracy Forward and former Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice, and Mark Nevitt, associate professor of law at Emory University and former Distinguished Military Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy and a member of the Just Security editorial board.
Show Notes:
- “Trump, the National Guard, and the District of Columbia” by Mark Nevitt
- “One Week of Trump’s DC Takeover Attempt: An analysis of the president’s use of military, police, and security services in the nation’s capital” by Joseph Nunn and Spencer Reynolds
- “How to Truly Keep Washington, DC Safe: President Trump’s militarized approach undercuts what’s been working” by Donell Harvin
Just Security Podcast: What Just Happened - Federalization of Law Enforcement in Washington DC with David Aaron, Carrie Cordero, and Donell Harvin
What Just Happened: Federalization of Law Enforcement in Washington DC
This week, the Trump administration took over command of the D.C. police department, and surged federal law enforcement officers and National Guard units into the city. While the United States has a long …
Notas del episodio
This week, the Trump administration took over command of the D.C. police department, and surged federal law enforcement officers and National Guard units into the city. While the United States has a long tradition of leaving most policing to state and local agencies, federal law enforcement has specific powers, and there are well-established limits on the use of military forces for domestic law enforcement, but the rules for DC are particular.
In this episode, host David Aaron is joined by Carrie Cordero, General Counsel at the Center for a New American Security and former Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for National Security and Senior Associate General Counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Donell Harvin, Visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University and former Chief of Homeland Security and Intelligence for the District of Columbia. Together, they unpack significant legal and policy considerations concerning the Executive Branch’s recent actions and the open questions still in play.
Show Notes:
- Center for a New American Security, The 21st Century National Guard: Expanding Missions, Modernizing Authorities
- Just Security’s Federalization of DC Policing, Law Enforcement and National Security Archives
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