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The Steady State Sentinel
30 episodes
Cornucopia of Vectors of Theft: How China Is Stealing America's Economic Future
Ep 40 · Aug 18, 2026 · 49 min
A former CIA officer on China’s espionage successes, America’s IP losses, and the growing threat to the U.S. economy. Host John Sipher sits down with his former CIA colleague Glenn Chafetz, now Director of the 2430 Group, a nonprofit focused on state-sponsored espionage against the economy. Chafetz explains how technology has transformed espionage — from the days of clandestine meetings in parking garages where “if you didn’t get caught red-handed, you didn’t get caught” to a world where "commer…
The Intelligence You Don't See: A Career Analyst Warns about Systemic Weaponization of the Intelligence Community
Ep 39 · Aug 11, 2026 · 46 min
A former CIA analyst and NSC director on the weaponization of the DNI, the decapitation of the NSC, and why dissent is no longer tolerated. Host Bree Fram, a retired Space Force colonel, sits down with Julia Curlee, a former CIA analyst with 25 years of experience who served as an National Security Council (NSC) director in the Biden and second Trump White Houses and as a presidential daily intelligence briefer to Vice President Pence. Curlee explains how intelligence was designed to work — raw…
The Iran You Don't See: The Regime, the People, and What America Gets Wrong
Ep 38 · Aug 4, 2026 · 49 min
A 22-year veteran of the CIA and Iran specialist on why the regime survives, the MOU disaster, the lessons of Iraq, and the history and humanity of Iranians. Host Jim Lawler sits down with his former CIA colleague Mark Fowler, a decorated case officer and one of the most experienced Iran operations officers of his generation. Fowler explains what makes Iran such a uniquely demanding target — not because Iranians are hard to recruit, but because the U.S. has no presence inside the country. He sha…
America's Nuclear Guardians: A Conversation on Security, Espionage, and Speaking Truth to Power
Ep 37 · Jul 28, 2026 · 40 min
A former acting Under Secretary for Nuclear Security on the damage being done to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, and why he "never bets against America." Host Jim Lawler sits down with his former CIA colleague Bruce Held, who served as Chief of Station on three continents, Special Assistant to two National Security Council principals, Director of DOE's Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, and ultimately acting Under Secretary for Nuclea…
Breaking the Cockpit Barrier: One Pilot's Fight to Engineer Inclusion into the Military
Ep 36 · Jul 21, 2026 · 49 min
A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel on height requirements that excluded 44% of women, the first maternity flight suit, and why "truth isn't afraid of transparency." In her debut as a co-host of the Steady State Sentinel, retired Space Force Colonel Bree Fram joins Lauren Anderson to interview retired Lieutenant Colonel Jessica Ruttenber, a senior pilot with over 3,000 flight hours. Their conversation explores the effects on combat readiness of hidden barriers, the importance of data over ane…
The Recruiter's Recruiter: Trust, Treason, and the Human Elements of Espionage with Jim Lawler
Ep 35 · Jul 14, 2026 · 52 min
25-year CIA case officer and author Jim Lawler on the ten qualities of a top recruiter, the A.Q. Khan takedown, the Hanssen case, and why speaking truth to power matters more than ever. In this episode, host Lauren Anderson turns the tables on co-host Jim Lawler, a 25-year veteran of the CIA's clandestine service and the officer who led the takedown of the A.Q. Khan nuclear smuggling network, an operation that former deputy CIA director John McLaughlin called "the closest thing to a perfect inte…
Phillips O'Brien on America's Strategic Collapse
Ep 34 · Jul 7, 2026 · 46 min
The acclaimed military historian explains why conflict in Iran, Ukraine and the erosion of alliances point to a deeper crisis in American strategy and details the critical nature of the 2026 midterm elections. In the latest episode of the Steady State Sentinel, Phillips O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St. Andrews and one of the sharpest contemporary writers on war and strategy joins host John Sipher to argue the Iran War revealed two devastating truths: The U.S. gove…
The Making of a Public Servant: Lauren C. Anderson's Journey to the Senior Ranks of the FBI
Ep 33 · Jun 30, 2026 · 49 min
Service, gut checks, the power of humanity in law enforcement, and why she said “yes” to The Steady State. In a format shift, host Peter Mina turns the microphone over to co-host Lauren C. Anderson to explore her origin story — from a childhood visit to the FBI where a tour guide told her girls can't be agents because “...they paint their fingernails," to serving as a senior executive in the FBI across nearly 30 years. Lauren shares how her first "failure" — struggling with pre-med science in co…
The Uncrowned King: Ambassador Charles A. Ray on America’s Authoritarian Turn
Ep 32 · Jun 23, 2026 · 43 min
A former U.S. Army officer, diplomat, and ambassador to Cambodia and Zimbabwe on oath, duty, service beyond party, the collapse of institutional guardrails, and why rebuilding trust will take decades. Host Jim Lawler, a former senior CIA operations officer, sits down with Ambassador Charles A. Ray, a rare polymath who served 20 years in the U.S. Army (including two combat tours in Vietnam) followed by 30 years in the Foreign Service, as Ambassador to Cambodia and Zimbabwe, and as the first U.S.…
The Bob Mueller Standard: Justice, Integrity, and Public Service
Ep 31 · Jun 16, 2026 · 51 min
Two former federal prosecutors on what the job is supposed to represent at its best, why Bob Mueller was the model, and the prosecutor’s unique duty to serve and protect the system itself. What does it mean to be a federal prosecutor when the client is the United States and the measure of success is not simply winning, but doing justice and doing it the right way? In the latest Steady State Sentinel podcast, former federal prosecutor and Steady State member Steve Bunnell interviews former federa…
Inside the Situation Room: Larry Pfeiffer on the Politicization of Intelligence, Professional Integrity, and the Cost of Truth
Ep 30 · Jun 9, 2026 · 37 min
A former CIA chief of staff and White House Situation Room senior director warns that politicized intelligence can weaken national security by chilling truth telling, hollowing out institutions, and discouraging young talent from entering public service. Former senior CIA operations officer Jim Lawler sits down with Larry Pfeiffer, former senior director of the White House Situation Room and chief of staff to CIA Director Michael Hayden, who describes the rigors of working in the Situation Room,…
Common Sense for a Democracy in Crisis
Ep 29 · Jun 2, 2026 · 39 min
The fight to repair public service, Congress, and democratic accountability In this episode of The Steady State Sentinel, John Sipher speaks with veteran intelligence and counterterrorism official Russ Travers about the state of American democracy, the national security system, and his forthcoming book, Common Sense Take Two. Travers reflects on his 45-year career across the intelligence community, from warning about systemic intelligence failures before 9/11 to helping build the post-9/11 count…
Hunting Weapons of Mass Destruction (with Andy Weber)
Ep 28 · May 30, 2026 · 58 min
This special joint episode of the Steady State Sentinel and Mission Implausible brings together two podcasts focused on separating fact from manipulation, defending democratic institutions, and understanding real-world national security threats. Hosted by former CIA officers John Sipher and Jerry O’Shea, Mission Implausible examines the line between conspiracy theory and actual conspiracy, making it a natural partner for this conversation with national security expert Andy Weber on weapons of ma…
Afraid to Speak, Afraid for Democracy: New Poll Finds Widespread Concern About Authoritarianism
Ep 27 · May 26, 2026 · 41 min
A top pollster and an award-winning journalist break down who is self‑censoring, why Gen Z sees democracy differently, and whether the U.S. can reverse its authoritarian slide. Host Lauren C. Anderson, former senior FBI executive, sits down with pollster Stefan Hankin of Lincoln Park Strategies and journalist Joel Anderson of The Ringer and Slate) to unpack a national poll released in March 2026. Key findings: 54% of Americans say they hesitate to express political views at work or online, or in…
The War on the Press: How Trump Attacks the First Amendment
Ep 26 · May 19, 2026 · 32 min
A veteran LA Times correspondent on Trump’s assault on the press, the White House Correspondents' Dinner security scare, and the fight for truth in a fractured media era. In the latest episode of the Sentinel podcast, former CIA Operations Officer Margaret Henoch interviews Bob Drogin, a 38-year veteran of the Los Angeles Times. Drogin describes what he assesses as the Trump administration’s unprecedented assault on the First Amendment: cutting NPR and PBS funding, banning reporters from the Whi…
The Most Powerful Intelligence Tool You’ve Never Heard Of: A Former CIA Lawyer Explains Section 702
Ep 25 · May 12, 2026 · 43 min
A deep dive into FISA, modern surveillance authorities, and the growing tension between intelligence collection and civil liberties in the digital age. Former CIA Senior Officer Jim Petrila joins Peter Mina to break down the evolution of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the controversies surrounding Section 702, and the growing tension between national security surveillance and civil liberties. Petrilla explains how technological shifts after the Cold War and 9/11 transformed in…
Saving My Life's Work: Eric Rubin on the Dismantling of American Diplomacy
Ep 24 · May 5, 2026 · 43 min
The Spoils System Returns, the Foreign Service Professional Association Is Crushed, and Why the Next President Will Be Handicapped In the latest episode of the Sentinel, Peter Mina interviews Ambassador Eric Rubin, a 38‑year Foreign Service veteran, former president of American Foreign Service Association and current Steady State board member. Rubin describes how the Trump administration has dismantled the nonpartisan career foreign service, destroyed employee associations and affinity groups, a…
The Fragile Glue: Mark Zaid on Whistleblowers, Retaliation, and the Rule of Law
Ep 23 · Apr 28, 2026 · 41 min
Government Transparency, Security Clearance Battles, and the Future of American Democracy Former CIA officer Jim Lawler and former FBI senior executive Lauren C. Anderson host Mark Zaid, a renowned national security attorney who has represented whistleblowers, been personally targeted by a presidential clearance revocation, and fought for government transparency for nearly three decades. They discuss the real difference between a whistleblower and a leaker (using Edward Snowden as a cautionary e…
The MAGA Crack-Up: David Corn on Iran, the FBI, and a Democracy Under Siege
Ep 22 · Apr 21, 2026 · 48 min
Conspiracy Narratives, Media Challenges, and the Long Shadow of Russian Influence Former CIA officer John Sipher sits down for the latest Sentinel podcast with David Corn, Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones and one of the nation’s most respected political journalists. They dive deep into the explosive schisms within MAGA world triggered by the Iran war, from Tucker Carlson accusing Trump of being the anti‑Christ to escalating feuds between figures like Megyn Kelly and Mark Levin. Corn expl…
Protecting Liberty in the Age of Surveillance
Ep 21 · Apr 14, 2026 · 34 min
How a former Chief of the Office of Civil Liberties, Privacy and Transparency at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence thinks about privacy, protest, and the power of government data. In the latest episode of the Sentinel, American University Adjunct professor and Scholar‑in‑Residence, Alex Joel, joins host Peter Mina to unpack how democracies can fight real threats without becoming one themselves, exploring the post‑9/11 “connect the dots” mindset, the Privacy Act’s enduring role,…
The Counterrevolution: Tom Shannon on America’s Retreat from the World
Ep 20 · Apr 7, 2026 · 46 min
Soft Power, Hard Choices, and the Hollowing Out of U.S. Diplomacy In this edition of the Sentinel podcast, host Lauren Anderson, former senior FBI executive, sits down with Ambassador Tom Shannon, one of the most experienced diplomats of his generation. They discuss what Shannon describes as a "counterrevolution" in U.S. foreign policy – a shift away from the post-WWII alliance-based system toward a more unilateral "America First" approach. Shannon warns that the erosion of institutional experti…
Leaving MAGA: Identity, Propaganda, and the Path Back
Ep 19 · Mar 31, 2026 · 36 min
A conversation on identity, disinformation, and the path out of political extremism In this week's episode of the Sentinel podcast, John Sipher speaks with Rich Logis, founder of Leaving MAGA, about his journey into—and out of—the movement. They explore how identity, belonging, and media ecosystems shape political belief, why leaving can be so difficult, and what ultimately breaks the cycle. Logis also shares insights on disinformation, “anger addiction,” and how families can support loved ones…
From Iran to Ukraine: Inside America’s National Security Breakdown
Ep 18 · Mar 24, 2026 · 33 min
Strategic Failures, Intelligence Erosion, and the New Global Threat Landscape In the latest episode of the Sentinel podcast, Jim Lawler hosts investigative journalist Seth Hettena to discuss the U.S. war with Iran, domestic security, and global policy challenges. Domestically, they discuss the weakened state of our institutions, loss of expertise, and politicization of decision-making. Globally, they highlight strained credibility, particularly regarding Ukraine, and the declining trust in the U…
Allies, Intelligence, and a Fraying American Center
Ep 17 · Mar 17, 2026 · 44 min
In this week's episode, Lauren Anderson and Phil Gurski discuss the Five Eyes partnership, the FBI’s challenges, and why politicized intelligence endangers everyone. Summary: Former FBI executive Lauren Anderson sits down with Canadian intelligence veteran Phil Gurski, the first international guest on the Steady State Sentinel, to explore how America looks from the perspective of a close ally. Together they unpack the history and purpose of the Five Eyes partnership, the vital but often invisibl…
Reporting in the Crosshairs: Shane Harris on Politicized Intelligence, Press Freedom, and America’s Allies
Ep 16 · Mar 10, 2026 · 39 min
Inside the risks of reporting on intelligence in an era of political pressure and weakening institutional guardrails John Sipher sits down with The Atlantic’s Shane Harris for a wide-ranging conversation on intelligence reporting, the unraveling of trust in American institutions, threats to press freedom, and what U.S. allies now fear most about Washington. Harris also reflects on one of the most extraordinary source relationships of his career and what it reveals about journalism, secrecy, and…
Might Makes Right? Michael Morell on U.S. Power, Allies, and Adversaries
Ep 15 · Mar 3, 2026 · 39 min
Former CIA deputy director Michael Morell joins former senior CIA operations officers Jim Lawler and John Sipher to reflect on post 9/11 overcorrection towards counterterrorism. They assess the current “might makes right” approach to foreign policy, and weigh the arguments for and against efforts for regime change in Iran. Mr. Morell also explores how we can strengthen U.S. intelligence, public trust, and future decision-making in an era of great power competition and complex global threats. Thi…
An Apolitical FBI is Vital to National Security
Ep 14 · Feb 24, 2026 · 38 min
Host Lauren Anderson leads a candid conversation with retired FBI officials Mark Ferbrache, Nikki Rutman, and Mae Syed. Their discussion covers successfully resolved cases, the value of the FBI to civil society, and the reputational damage caused by politicization of law enforcement.
America’s “Strategic Self-Immolation”
Ep 13 · Feb 20, 2026 · 32 min
National Security reporter and author Tim Weiner and host Jim Lawler discuss how the Trump Administration’s politicization of our national security institutions, attacks on our constitution and rule of law, and betrayal of our allies are putting us in danger of losing our civil liberties at home and increasing our national security threats abroad.
Chilling Racial Cleansing
Ep 12 · Feb 17, 2026 · 54 min
Host Peter Mina interviews Bill Braniff and Dexter Ingram, two renowned experts on countering extremism who issue a red alert on the executive branch’s shameless reliance on white supremacist symbolism and arguments to defend its actions. (recorded 1-16-26)
No Rules of Engagement
Ep 11 · Feb 13, 2026 · 43 min
Lieutenant General (Retired) Ben Hodges speaks out on the improper use of the U.S. military, its impact on U.S. defense and our allies’ growing distrust. (Recorded 12-4-2025)
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