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Clearer Than Truth
The wisdom of former Secretary of State Dean Acheson inspires our podcast. It emphasizes clarity while examining the intricate global issues of today for a diverse audience. In a world where time is limited, this podcast aims to distill complex ideas into straightforward narratives, making them not just comprehensible but in Acheson’s words, “clearer than truth.” The podcast, much like other news-oriented shows, is committed to keeping listeners updated on breaking global events. Airing once every few weeks, it dissects the latest news, featuring insights from experts around the world. From discussions on significant geopolitical developments to the passage of controversial laws, this podcast provides concise yet comprehensive analyses.
Episodes
38 episodes
Episode 38: Scott Kennedy
Scott Kennedy is Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). A leading authority on Chinese economic policy and U.S.–China commercial relations, he has travele...
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42:45
Episode 37: Don Bentley
Don Bentley is a bestselling American thriller author and former FBI Special Agent, SWAT team member, and U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot. He currently continues the legacy of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp series, with his newest novel
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28:11
Episode 36: Jake Tapper
Jake Tapper is a prominent CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent, and the author of Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Killer at the Dawn of the Forever War. His book uncovers the high-stakes global hunt to prosecute an a...
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36:34
Episode 35: Jack Carr
Jack Carr is a former U.S. Navy SEAL turned bestselling author known for his high-octane military thrillers. He burst onto the scene with The Terminal List, which was adapted into a Prime Video series, and has since written several mor...
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21:02
Episode 34: Karen House
Karen Elliott House is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and former managing editor, publisher, and international editor at The Wall Street Journal with over four decades of experience covering Saudi Arabia. Her latest book, The ...
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44:29
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Episode 33: Oona Hathaway
Oona A. Hathaway is the Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law at Yale Law School and President-Elect of the American Society of International Law (ASIL), beginning her presidency in 2026. She also holds appoi...
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39:07
Episode 32: Paul Poast
Paul Poast is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Committee on International Relations at the University of Chicago, where he also serves as Deputy Dean for Doctoral Education and directs the Summer Institute for Social Research Met...
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43:02
Episode 31: Ryan Hass
Ryan Hass is an American foreign policy analyst and diplomat currently serving as the director of the John L. Thornton China Center and the Chen-Fu and Cecilia Yen Koo Chair in Taiwan Studies at the Brookings Institution. A former U.S. diplomat...
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29:30
Episode 30: Einat Wilf
Einat Wilf is an Israeli intellectual, author, and former Knesset member (2010–2013), known for her insightful work on Zionism, Israeli education, and foreign policy. She has held roles as an intelligence officer in the IDF, foreign poli...
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44:18
Episode 29: Jon Lee Anderson
Jon Lee Anderson is an acclaimed biographer, investigative reporter, and war correspondent currently writing for The New Yorker, where he has been a staff writer since 1998. Over his distinguished career, he’s reported from conflicts a...
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44:18
Episode 28: Graham Markiewicz
Graham Markiewicz is the Executive Director of the Security and Democracy Forum and a seasoned national security policy advisor. He served as defense policy adviser for U.S. Senate, deployed twice to Afghanistan as an infantry officer, and prev...
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29:56
Episode 27: Demkó Attila
Demkó Attila is a Hungarian security policy expert, former diplomat, and historian based in Budapest. He holds a PhD in history and political theory from Eötvös Loránd University and has trained at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the ...
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38:42
Episode 26: Yaroslav Trofimov
Yaroslav Trofimov is the Chief Foreign‑Affairs Correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, reporting on global conflicts since 1999. Born in Kyiv, he has spent much of the past three years on the frontlines of the Russian‑Ukraine...
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34:17
Episode 25: Dana Stroul
Dana Stroul is Director of Research and Shelly & Michael Kassen Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a role she assumed in February 2024. From 2021 to 2023, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for ...
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37:30
Episode 24: Eliot A. Cohen
Eliot A. Cohen is a leading authority in international security and strategic affairs. He holds the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at CSIS and is Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins SAIS, where he served as dean from 2019 to 2021. Previousl...
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41:42
Episode 23: Judy Woodruff
Judy Woodruff is a veteran broadcast journalist with a career spanning over five decades. She served as the anchor and managing editor of PBS NewsHour from 2013 to 2022, becoming the sole anchor following the passing of co-anchor Gwen Ifill in ...
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33:35
Episode 22: Arash Azizi
Arash Azizi is an Iranian writer, historian, and journalist whose work explores the intersections of politics, culture, and society in Iran and the broader Middle East. His latest book, What Iranians Want: Women, Life, Freedom, delves ...
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39:50
Episode 21: James M. Scott
James M. Scott is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author renowned for his compelling narratives on military history. His latest book, Targeted: Beirut, co-authored with Jack Carr, delves into the 1983 Marine ba...
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32:42
Episode 20: Philip Zelikow
Philip Zelikow is an American diplomat, historian, and academic, best known for serving as executive director of the 9/11 Commission. He was Counselor of the U.S. State Department under Secretary Condoleezza Rice and has held senior academic ro...
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35:24
Episode 19: Chris Whipple
Chris Whipple is a renowned journalist and author, best known for his in-depth analyses of American political institutions. His latest book, Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History, off...
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35:10
Episode 18: Ben Hodges
Lieutenant General (Retired) Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe (2014–2017), is a Senior Advisor to Human Rights First and NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics. He co-authored Future War and the Defence of Europe an...
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40:23
Episode 17: Terry McAuliffe
Terry McAuliffe is a seasoned political leader and businessman who served as the 72nd Governor of Virginia. A former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, he has been a key figure in national and state politics, focusing on economic gr...
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40:32
Episode 16: Dr. Andrew A. Michta
Dr. Andrew A. Michta is a Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council and term life member at the Council on Foreign Relations.
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45:13