Assumed Rationality

Kim Barker and Brendan Hoffman, “How a Cheap Drone Punctured Chernobyl’s 40,000-Ton Shield,” The New York Times, March 25, 2025, sec. World, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/world/europe/drone-chernobyl-shield-ukraine-war.html; IAEA, “Frequently Asked Chernobyl Questions,” Text (IAEA, November 7, 2016), https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/chernobyl/faqs; ILLIA NOVIKOV and EFREM LUKATSKY, “A Drone Pierced the Outer Shell of Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. Radiation Levels Are Normal,” AP News, February 14, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-chernobyl-zelenskyy-71d781dbd66754d0a548edd388f3447a; Nuclear Newswire, “Fires Extinguished at Chernobyl Following Drone Strike,” Nuclear Newswire, March 13, 2025, https://www.ans.org/news/2025-03-13/article-6852/fires-extinguished-at-chernobyl-following-drone-strike/; UNN, “Minister of the Environment: The Dismantling of the Sarcophagus Is Postponed Due to the Russian Attack on the Chernobyl NPP | УНН,” Ukrainian National News (UNN), April 12, 2025, https://unn.ua/en/news/minister-of-the-environment-the-dismantling-of-the-sarcophagus-is-postponed-due-to-the-russian-federations-attack-on-the-chernobyl-nuclear-power-plant; Yurii Kovalenko, “Ukraine Seeking Solutions for Damaged Chernobyl Confinement Vessel, Minister Says,” Reuters, April 13, 2025, sec. Europe, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-seeking-solutions-damaged-chernobyl-confinement-vessel-minister-says-2025-04-12/.

In this episode of Assumed Rationality, Bree Megivern unpacks China’s recent military exercises around Taiwan, analyzing them as both a possible rehearsal for a blockade and a strategic message to Taipei and Washington, DC. The episode touches on the historical relationship between China and Taiwan and the international community’s reactions to the military exercises. Have questions, comments, or episode suggestions? Contact me at https://assumedrationality.com/ Want to learn more? AP, “Taiwan’s President Says the Defense Budget Will Exceed 3% of GDP in Military Overhaul,” Associated Press News, March 20, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-us-defense-budget-b15c2dc87297627a2ac12ea344fe94b8;Chris Buckley, “China’s Military Exercises Around Taiwan Enter Second Day,” The New York Times, April 1, 2025, sec. World, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/01/world/asia/china-taiwan-military-drills.html; Department of Defense, “Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Concludes Visit to Japan” (Department of Defense, March 30, 2025), https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4139267/secretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-concludes-visit-to-japan/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.defense.gov%2FNews%2FReleases%2FRelease%2FArticle%2F4139267%2Fsecretary-of-defense-pete-hegseth-concludes-visit-to-japan%2F; Dzirhan Mahadzir, “Chinese Military Wraps Intimidation Drills Off Taiwan,” USNI News (blog), April 2, 2025, https://news.usni.org/2025/04/02/chinese-military-wraps-intimidation-drills-off-taiwan; Huizhong Wu and Johnson Lai, “Chinese Military Conducts Large-Scale Drills around Taiwan,” AP News, April 1, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/china-taiwan-military-drills-56a39e0044657c0a74482184895e6bed; Jack Burnham, “Signaling Displeasure With Washington, China Conducts Military Exercises Around Taiwan,” Foundation for Defense of Democracies, April 3, 2025, https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2025/04/03/signaling-displeasure-with-washington-china-conducts-military-exercises-around-taiwan/; Joe Cash et al., “China Launches Military Drills around Taiwan, Calls Taiwan President a ‘Parasite,’” Reuters, April 1, 2025, sec. Asia Pacific, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/chinese-military-says-it-is-conducting-exercises-around-taiwan-2025-03-31/; Joe Cash et al., “China Concludes Two-Day War Games around Taiwan after Live Fire Drills,” Reuters, April 2, 2025, sec. Asia Pacific, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-drills-around-taiwan-continue-gives-them-code-name-strait-thunder-2025-04-02/; Matthew Sperzel et al., “China-Taiwan Weekly Update, April 4, 2025,” Institute for the Study of War - Press, April 4, 2025, http://dev-isw.bivings.com/; The Associated Press, “Taiwan’s President Pushes to Increase Defense Budget amid Rising Threat from China,” NPR, March 21, 2025, sec. Asia, https://www.npr.org/2025/03/21/nx-s1-5336093/taiwain-military-budget-china-defense.Music: "Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Want to request an episode topic? Go to https://assumedrationality.com/ Sources: Al Jazeera Staff, “Iran Responds to Trump Letter on Nuclear Talks, State Media Reports,” Al Jazeera, March 27, 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/27/iran-responds-to-trump-letter-on-restarting-nuclear-talks-state-media; Alex Plitsas, “After Proxies and Nuclear Program Threats, Iran May Turn to Terror Abroad,” Atlantic Council (blog), March 25, 2025, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/increasing-threat-iran-transnational-terrorism/; Doina Chiacu and David Ljunggren, “Trump Threatens Bombing If Iran Does Not Make Nuclear Deal,” Reuters, March 30, 2025, sec. World, https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-there-will-be-bombing-if-iran-does-not-make-nuclear-deal-2025-03-30/; Farnaz Fassihi, “What to Know About Iran’s Response to Trump’s Letter Urging Talks,” The New York Times, March 28, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/28/world/middleeast/iran-negotiations-trump-letter.html;Kali Robinson, “What Is the Iran Nuclear Deal?,” Council on Foreign Relations, October 27, 2023, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-iran-nuclear-deal; Nadeen Ebrahim, “As Trump Offers New Nuclear Talks, Iran Weighs the Cost of Losing Its Final Leverage,” CNN, March 26, 2025, https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/26/middleeast/trump-offers-new-nuclear-talks-iran-weighs-cost-mime-intl/index.html; Offive of the Director of National Intelligence, “Annual Threat Assessment Ofthe US Intelligence Community” (Office of the Director of National Intelligence, March 2025), https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ATA-2025-Unclassified-Report.pdf; STEPHANIE LIECHTENSTEIN, “Iran Accelerates Production of near Weapons-Grade Uranium, IAEA Says, as Tensions with US Ratchet Up,” AP News, February 26, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/iran-nuclear-iaea-weapons-grade-uranium-trump-0b11a99a7364f9a43e1c83b220114d45; The Tactics Institute, “Tactics Institute Raises Alarm Over Covert Uranium Deal Between Niger and Iran,” The Tactics Institute for Security and Counterterrorism, October 7, 2024, https://tacticsinstitute.com/press-releases/tactics-institute-raises-alarm-over-covert-uranium-deal-between-niger-and-iran/; Unshin Lee Harpley, “B-2 Bombers Arrive on Diego Garcia in Unusual Show of Force,” Air & Space Forces Magazine, March 27, 2025, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/b-2-bombers-diego-garcia/.Music: "Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Request an episode topic at: https://assumedrationality.com/contact-assumed-rationality/ Sources: Anna Caprile and Gabija Leclerc, “Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’: Bringing the Threat to Light,” Briefing (European Parliament, November 2024 https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2024/766242/EPRS_BRI(2024)766242_EN.pdf;  Eitvydas Bajarūnas, “Choking Russia’s Shadow Fleet in the Baltic,” CEPA, January 15, 2025, https://cepa.org/article/choking-russias-shadow-fleet-in-the-baltic/; Elisabeth Braw, “The Threats Posed by the Global Shadow Fleet—and How to Stop It,” Atlantic Council (blog), December 6, 2024, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/the-threats-posed-by-the-global-shadow-fleet-and-how-to-stop-it/;European Commission, “G7 Agrees Oil Price Cap: Reducing Russia’s Revenues, While Keeping Global Energy Markets Stable,” European Commission, December 2, 2022,, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/it/ip_22_7468; Patrick Sorge and Alex Longley, “Germany Seizes Russian Oil Sitting on a Tanker in the Baltic Sea,” Bloomberg, March 21, 2025, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-21/germany-seizes-russian-oil-sitting-on-a-tanker-in-the-baltic-sea; Rachel More and Friederike Heine, “Germany Seizes Tanker Belonging to Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’, Spiegel Reports,” Reuters, March 21, 2025, sec. Europe, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-confiscates-tanker-belonging-russian-shadow-fleet-spiegel-reports-2025-03-21/; Robin Brooks and Ben Harris, “Where Did Russia’s Shadow Fleet Come from?,” Brookings, February 27, 2025, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/where-did-russias-shadow-fleet-come-from/; Tess Joosse, “When Wrecks Become Reefs,” Smithsonian Ocean, January 2022, https://ocean.si.edu/ecosystems/coral-reefs/when-wrecks-become-reefs; US Department of the Treasury, “Treasury Intensifies Sanctions Against Russia by Targeting Russia’s Oil Production and Exports,” Press Release, January 10, 2025, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2777.Music: "Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Want to learn more: AP, “Serbian Officials Deny Illegal Sonic Weapon Attack on Peaceful Protesters,” AP News, March 16, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/serbia-protest-sonic-weapon-8502587e5849997175a5ea02f98d2e19; Big Brother Watch Team, “A Guide to Facial Recognition at Protests — Big Brother Watch,” A guide to facial recognition at protests — Big Brother Watch, August 2, 2023, https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/blog/a-guide-to-facial-recognition-at-protests-2/; Daphne Carr, “Understanding the LRAD, the ‘Sound Cannon’ Police Are Using at Protests, and How to Protect Yourself From It,” Pitchfork, June 9, 2020, https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/understanding-the-lrad-the-sound-cannon-police-are-using-at-protests-and-how-to-protect-yourself-from-it/; Darren Loucaides, “How Governments Use Facial Recognition for Protest Surveillance - Rest of World,” Rest of the World, March 27, 2024, https://restofworld.org/2024/facial-recognition-government-protest-surveillance/#/an-end-to-privacy; DUSAN STOJANOVIC, “Why People Are Protesting over a Deadly Roof Collapse in Serbia | AP News,” November 21, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/serbia-roof-collapse-china-protests-3cfa282938b1ddec12c4795b9ecb3e95; EWB, “One of the Largest Protests Ever Held in Serbia, Students Accuse the Authorities of Using Illegal Device,” European Western Balkans (blog), March 15, 2025, https://europeanwesternbalkans.com/2025/03/15/one-of-the-largest-protests-ever-held-in-serbia-students-accuse-the-authorities-of-using-illegal-device/; Privacy International, “How Facial Recognition Technology Can Be Used at a Protest | Privacy International,” May 5, 2021, http://privacyinternational.org/explainer/4495/how-facial-recognition-technology-can-be-used-protest; Privacy International, “Prosecuted for Protesting,” January 10, 2025, http://privacyinternational.org/long-read/5460/prosecuted-protesting; Sarajevo Times, “‘Sound Cannon’ at Protest? Experts Warn of Dangerous Consequences,” Sarajevo Times, March 15, 2025, https://sarajevotimes.com/sound-cannon-at-protest-experts-warn-of-dangerous-consequences/. Music: "Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Want to request an episode topic? Go to https://assumedrationality.com/ Sources: Al Jazeera, “EU Leaders Back New Defence Spending Plans,” Al Jazeera, March 6, 2024, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/6/eu-leaders-hold-emergency-summit-to-bolster-support-for-ukraine; Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood, “Doorstep by President von Der Leyen at the Leaders’ Meeting on Ukraine in London - European Commission,” European Commission, March 3, 2025, https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/doorstep-president-von-der-leyen-leaders-meeting-ukraine-london-2025-03-03_en; Trump Lashes Out At Ukraine’s Zelensky: “You Don’t Have The Cards Right Now With Us!,” Youtube Shorts, 2025, https://youtube.com/shorts/AWcJAHHASWA?si=y4xgJrYx6xEkxZ67; Kateryna Kuzmuk and Lorenzo Scarazzato, “The Transformation of Ukraine’s Arms Industry amid War with Russia | SIPRI,” February 21, 2025, https://www.sipri.org/commentary/topical-backgrounder/2025/transformation-ukraines-arms-industry-amid-war-russia; Keir Starmer, “PM Remarks at International Leaders’ Summit Press Conference: 2 March 2025,” GOV.UK, March 2, 2025, https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-remarks-at-international-leaders-summit-press-conference-2-march-2025; Sean Monaghan, “Europe’s Trillion Dollar Opportunity to Save Ukraine—and the Free World,” March 5, 2025, https://www.csis.org/analysis/europes-trillion-dollar-opportunity-save-ukraine-and-free-world;Special European Council, “Special European Council,” European Council, March 6, 2025, https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/european-council/2025/03/06/.Music: "Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Assumed Rationality is a weekly podcast hosted by Bree Megivern.

Want to learn more? Sources: Atomic Heritage Foundation, “Camp Century - Nuclear Museum,” https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/, July 19, 2018, https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/camp-century/;Ernie Regehr, “NORAD Renewal and a Team Canada Approach to Security,” The Simons Foundation Canada, February 11, 2025, https://www.thesimonsfoundation.ca/sites/default/files/NORAD%20Renewal%20and%20a%20Team%20Canada%20approach%20to%20security%20-%20Arctic%20Security%20Briefing%20Paper%2C%20February%2011%202025_0.pdf; Hadi Pradnyana, “Arctic Showdown: Global Power Struggles & ASEAN’s Stake in the Ice,” Modern Diplomacy, February 28, 2025, https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2025/02/28/arctic-showdown-global-power-struggles-aseans-stake-in-the-ice/; Joshua LeRoi and Olga Houtsma, “MINUTEMAN III TEST LAUNCH SHOWCASES READINESS OF U.S. NUCLEAR FORCE’S SAFE, EFFECTIVE DETE,” Vandenberg Space Force Base, February 19, 2025, https://www.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4070144/minuteman-iii-test-launch-showcases-readiness-of-us-nuclear-forces-safe-effecti/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vandenberg.spaceforce.mil%2FNews%2FArticle-Display%2FArticle%2F4070144%2Fminuteman-iii-test-launch-showcases-readiness-of-us-nuclear-forces-safe-effecti%2F; Mathieu Boulègue, “Russia’s Arctic Military Posture in the Context of the War against Ukraine,” The Arctic Institute - Center for Circumpolar Security Studies, October 31, 2024, https://www.thearcticinstitute.org/russias-arctic-military-posture-context-war-against-ukraine/;NATO Parliamentary Assembly, “US Missile Defense Mission and Growing Arctic Capabilities in Focus during a Defense and Security Committee Visit to Alaska and Seattle, Washington,” US Missile Defence Mission and Growing Arctic Capabilities in Focus during a Defence and Security Committee Visit to Alaska and Seattle, Washington.  | NATO PA, September 19, 2024, https://www.nato-pa.int/news/us-missile-defence-mission-and-growing-arctic-capabilities-focus-during-defence-and-security; US Army Europe and Africa, “MINUTEMAN III TEST LAUNCH SHOWCASES READINESS OF U.S. NUCLEAR FORCE,” US Army Europe and Africa, February 19, 2025, https://www.europeafrica.army.mil/What-We-Do/Exercises/Arctic-Shock/videoid/952863/dvpTag/AFGSC/; US Department of Defense, “2024 Department of Defense Arctic Strategy,” June 21, 2024.Music: "Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sources: Craig Nigrelli, William Jackson, and Kaleb Gillespie, “3 Chinese Warships Conduct Military Drills off Australia, Forcing Flight Diversions,” Straight Arrow News, February 21, 2025,https://san.com/cc/3-chinese-warships-conduct-military-drills-off-australia-forcing-flight-diversions/; Maj Timothy A Ornelas, “China’s Active Defense Military Strategy,” Marine Corps Gazette, 2021, 6; Midhar Fatimah, “China Accuses Australia of ‘hyping’ Live-Fire Navy Drills – DW – 02/23/2025,” dw.com, February 22, 2025,https://www.dw.com/en/china-accuses-australia-of-hyping-live-fire-navy-drills/a-71718592; Australian Associated Press, “China Conducts Second Live-Fire Drill near New Zealand,” The Guardian, February 22, 2025, sec. Australia news,https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/22/china-conducts-second-live-fire-drill-near-new-zealand; Reuters, “Philippines Accuses China’s Navy of ‘reckless’ Flight Manoeuvres,” Reuters, February 18, 2025, sec. Asia Pacific,https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-coast-guard-accuses-chinas-navy-dangerous-manoeuvres-south-china-sea-2025-02-18/; Rod McGuirk and Charlotte Graham-Mclay, “China Issued ‘Disconcerting’ Warning of Live-Fire Exercises to Planes Flying Above, Australia Says,” Military.com, February 21, 2025,https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/02/21/china-issued-disconcerting-warning-of-live-fire-exercises-planes-flying-above-australia-says.html; Ryan Chan, “Map Shows How China Staged War Games on Doorstep of US Allies,” Newsweek, February 21, 2025,https://www.newsweek.com/china-news-navy-deploys-south-pacific-military-exercise-australia-new-zealand-coast-2034162; The Associated Press, “Australia Warns Airlines to Beware of Chinese Naval Exercises in the Tasman Sea,” NPR, February 21, 2025, sec. World,https://www.npr.org/2025/02/21/g-s1-50065/australia-airlines-china-military-exercise.Music by:"Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sources: Andrew Roth, “Trump Says Palestinians Will Have No Right of Return to Gaza under His Plan,” The Guardian, February 10, 2025, sec. US news, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/10/trump-buy-gaza-plan; BBC News, “US Gaza Latest: Trump Will ‘look at All Options’ for Gaza Takeover as UN Warns against ‘Ethnic Cleansing,’” BBC News, accessed February 11, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/live/clyn05y9x2xt; Bernd Debusmann Jr, “Trump Insists US Will Take Gaza as He Meets Jordan’s King,” BBC News, February 11, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly9m7kv7lro; HRW, “Trump Indicates Intent to Escalate Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza | Human Rights Watch,” February 5, 2025, https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/05/trump-indicates-intent-escalate-ethnic-cleansing-gaza; Jack Jeffery and Sam Magdy, “Why Egypt and Other Arab Countries Are Unwilling to Take in Palestinian Refugees from Gaza,” AP News, October 18, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d; James Mackenzie, “Trump’s Gaza ‘Riviera’ Echoes Kushner Waterfront Property Dreams,” Reuters, February 5, 2025, sec. United States, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trumps-gaza-riviera-echoes-kushner-waterfront-property-dreams-2025-02-05/; Jeff Mason et al., “Trump Aides Defend Gaza Takeover Proposal but Walk Back Some Elements,” Reuters, February 6, 2025, sec. Middle East, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-official-says-trumps-remarks-about-taking-over-gaza-are-could-ignite-2025-02-05/; Kat Lonsdorf, “Palestinian Reaction to President Trump’s Gaza Takeover Comment. And- Gaza’s Police.,” NPR, February 6, 2025, sec. State of the World from NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/02/06/1229439879/palestinian-reaction-to-president-trumps-gaza-takeover-comment-and-gazas-police; Tinshui Yeung, “Trump Says Israel Will Hand over Gaza to US after Fighting Ends,” BBC News, February 9, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9xgj2429o; United Nations, “Definitions of Genocide and Related Crimes,” United Nations (United Nations), accessed February 11, 2025, https://www.un.org/en/genocide-prevention/definition; Zeke Miller and Sam Magdy, “Trump Says Ceasefire Deal Should Be Canceled If Hamas Doesn’t Release All Hostages by Saturday,” AP News, February 10, 2025, https://apnews.com/article/trump-gaza-jordan-egypt-fox-palestinians-be4c67e124f7b8c7d5ad95231fc625a8; “About the Nakba - Question of Palestine,” accessed February 11, 2025, https://www.un.org/unispal/about-the-nakba/; “U.S. Troops in the Middle East: Mapping the Military Presence | Council on Foreign Relations,” Council on Foreign Relations, accessed February 11, 2025, https://www.cfr.org/article/us-troops-middle-east-mapping-military-presence. Music by:"Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Thank you for your patience as I try to improve my audio!Sources: Andrew Yeo, “Expect to See More North Korean Weapons Reach Nonstate Armed Actors in 2024,” Brookings, accessed February 6, 2025, https://www.brookings.edu/articles/expect-to-see-more-north-korean-weapons-reach-nonstate-armed-actors-in-2024/; Chris Panella, “North Korea’s Forces Appear to Be the Latest ‘expendable’ Army Chewed up Fighting Russia’s War against Ukraine,” Business Insider, accessed February 9, 2025, https://www.businessinsider.com/north-korea-latest-expendable-army-chewed-up-russias-war-tactics-2025-2; Christina Harward and Grace Mappes, “Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment,” Institute for the Study of War, February 9, 2025, https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-updates;John T. Psaropoulos, “North Koreans ‘Disappear’ amid Heavy Russian Casualties in Ukraine War,” Al Jazeera, accessed February 6, 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/6/north-koreans-disappear-amid-heavy-russian-casualties-in-ukraine-war; Steve Szymanski and Joshua C. T. Keruski, “Ukraine Symposium – North Korea’s Entry into International Armed Conflict,”Lieber Institute West Point (blog), December 10, 2024, https://lieber.westpoint.edu/north-koreas-entry-international-armed-conflict/;Tom Balmforth, “Exclusive: Ukraine Sees Marked Improvement in Accuracy of Russia’s North Korean Missiles,”Reuters, February 6, 2025, sec. Aerospace & Defense, https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/ukraine-sees-marked-improvement-accuracy-russias-north-korean-missiles-2025-02-06/; Youngjun Kim, “North Korea Seeks to Mirror the South’s Defense Sector Boom,” Defense News, August 6, 2024, https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2024/08/06/north-korea-seeks-to-mirror-the-souths-defense-sector-boom/; “Putin Signs into Law Mutual Defence Treaty with North Korea,”Reuters, November 9, 2024, sec. Europe, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-signs-mutual-defence-treaty-with-north-korea-2024-11-09/; “North Korean Troops Reportedly Pulled Back from Russia-Ukraine Front Line,” Al Jazeera, February 4, 2025, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/4/north-korean-troops-reportedly-pulled-back-from-russia-ukraine-front; “Ukraine War Briefing: North Korean Troops Back on Frontline in Kursk, Says Zelensky,” the Guardian, February 7, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/08/ukraine-war-briefing-north-korean-troops-back-on-frontline-in-kursk-says-zelenskyy; “Ukraine War Latest: North Korean Soldiers ‘brought in Again’ to Fight in Kursk Oblast, Zelensky Says,” The Kyiv Independent, February 7, 2025, https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-war-latest-56/.Music by:"Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  

Baltic Sentry: NATO’s Latest Mission  Want to learn more?  Christina Anderson and Amelia Nierenberg, “Sweden Suspects ‘Gross Sabotage’ After Damage to Cable Under Baltic Sea,” The New York Times, January 27, 2025, sec. World, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/world/europe/cable-baltic-sea-sweden-damage.html; Dan Milmo, “Wire Cutters: How the World’s Vital Undersea Data Cables Are Being Targeted,” The Guardian, November 22, 2024, sec. Technology, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/22/wire-cutters-how-the-worlds-vital-undersea-data-cables-are-being-targeted; Henrik Pryser Libell and Lynsey Chutel, “Norway Seizes Russian-Crewed Ship Suspected of Cutting an Undersea Cable,” The New York Times, January 31, 2025, sec. World, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/world/europe/norway-russia-ship-baltic-undersea-cable.html; John Leicester, “11 Baltic Cables Damaged in 15 Months, Pushing NATO to Boost Security,” Defense News, January 28, 2025, https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/01/28/11-baltic-cables-damaged-in-15-months-pushing-nato-to-boost-security/; NATO, “NATO Launches ‘Baltic Sentry’ to Increase Critical Infrastructure Security,” NATO, accessed January 31, 2025, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_232122.htm; “How the Early Cable Was Used | American Experience | PBS,” accessed January 31, 2025, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/cable-how-early-cable-was-used/; “SILVER DANIA, Palletised Cargo Ship - Details and Current Position,” Vessel Finder, accessed January 31, 2025, https://www.vesselfinder.com/vessels/details/8808604; “Submarine Cables,” National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, accessed January 31, 2025, https://www.noaa.gov/submarine-cables; “Diving Deep into Submarine Cables: The Undersea Lifelines of Internet Connectivity,” Kentik, March 28, 2023, https://www.kentik.com/blog/diving-deep-into-submarine-cables-undersea-lifelines-of-internet-connectivity/. Music by: "Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ “Ocean Waves” from Solarmusic on Pixabay.com

Want to learn more?  KOSTYA MANENKOV and DARIA LITVINOVA, “Belarus Poll Workers Describe Fraud in Aug. 9 Election,” AP News, September 1, 2020, https://apnews.com/article/international-news-ap-top-news-europe-72e43a8b9e4c56362d4c1d6393bd54fb; Pjotr Sauer, “‘A Ritual for a Dictator’: Lukashenko Critics Decry Belarus Election,” The Guardian, January 23, 2025, sec. World news, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/23/alexander-lukashenko-critics-belarus-election-president; Sarah Rainsford, “Belarusian Opposition Denounces Lukashenko and Sunday’s Election,” January 24, 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g9dld4pejo; Tadeusz Giczan, “The Rise of Belarusian Oligarchs,” CEPA, July 30, 2020, https://cepa.org/article/the-rise-of-belarusian-oligarchs/; Todd Prince, “Big Brother Is Listening In Belarus: Lukashenka Gives The KGB Greater Access To Online Data,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 19:02:47Z, sec. Belarus, https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-kgb-online-data-access-lukashenka/32101939.html; “Accountability for Enforced Disappearances in Belarus: Former Member of President Lukashenka’s Elite Hit Squad Brought before a Swiss Court - TRIAL International,” accessed January 25, 2025, https://trialinternational.org/latest-post/belarus-accountability-for-enforced-disappearances-before-swiss-court/; “Belarus: About the Project: Election Watch 2025 Country Report,” Freedom House, accessed January 25, 2025, https://freedomhouse.org/country/belarus/about-project-election-watch/2025; “FAQs: Belarus Constitutional Referendum 2022 | IFES - The International Foundation for Electoral Systems,” February 24, 2022, https://www.ifes.org/tools-resources/faqs/faqs-belarus-constitutional-referendum-2022; “Key Events in Alexander Lukashenko’s 30 Years as the Iron-Fisted Leader of Belarus,” AP News, July 19, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/belarus-lukashenko-timeline-8f85cc4559f72a7d181d3a0a4f596407; “Treasury Targets Belarusian State-Owned Enterprises, Government Officials, and Lukashenka’s Aircraft,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 23, 2024, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1365; “Parliament Denounces the Upcoming Sham Presidential Election in Belarus | News | European Parliament,” January 22, 2025, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20250116IPR26328/parliament-denounces-the-upcoming-sham-presidential-election-in-belarus. Music by: "Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Explore the chilling resurgence of chemical weapons in Sudan’s ongoing conflict and the global implications of their use. From the trenches of World War I to Assad’s atrocities and today’s looming threat in Khartoum, this episode unpacks the history, impact, and unanswered questions surrounding these weapons of fear. Be advised: this episode discusses war, genocide, and the use of chemical weapons.  Sources:  Natasha Hall, “Emerging Trends in Chemical Weapons Usage in the Middle East,” n.d.; David Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, and Daphne Psaledakis, “US Issues Sanctions on Sudanese Army Chief Burhan,” Reuters, January 16, 2025, sec. World, https://www.reuters.com/world/us-impose-sanctions-sudanese-leader-burhan-2025-01-16/; Clare Lombardo, “More Than 300 Chemical Attacks Launched During Syrian Civil War, Study Says,” NPR, February 17, 2019, sec. World, https://www.npr.org/2019/02/17/695545252/more-than-300-chemical-attacks-launched-during-syrian-civil-war-study-says; OPCW, “What Is a Chemical Weapon?,” Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, accessed January 16, 2025, https://www.opcw.org/our-work/what-chemical-weapon; UNODA, “Chemical Weapons,” United Nations, accessed January 16, 2025, https://disarmament.unoda.org/wmd/chemical/; Declan Walsh and Julian E. Barnes, “Sudan’s Military Has Used Chemical Weapons Twice, U.S. Officials Say,” The New York Times, January 16, 2025, sec. World, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/16/world/africa/sudan-chemical-weapons-sanctions.html; “Chemical Weapons: Frequently Asked Questions,” Arms Control Association, accessed January 17, 2025, https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/chemical-weapons-frequently-asked-questions#III; “Chemotherapy: From the Trenches of Warfare A Weapon to Fight Cancer,” Clinical Trials at Yale, accessed January 17, 2025, https://medicine.yale.edu/ycci/clinicaltrials/learnmore/tradition/chemotherapy/; “OPCW by the Numbers,” OPCW, accessed January 16, 2025, https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/opcw-numbers; “Sudan Crisis Explained,” UN Refugees, accessed January 16, 2025, https://www.unrefugees.org/news/sudan-crisis-explained/; “Voices of the First World War: Gas Attack At Ypres,” Imperial War Museums, accessed January 17, 2025, https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/voices-of-the-first-world-war-gas-attack-at-ypres; “New Weapons Fuelling the Sudan Conflict.Pdf” (Amnesty International, 2024); “Civil War in Sudan | Global Conflict Tracker,” Council on Foreign Relations, October 3, 2024, https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/power-struggle-sudan; “Sudan and Darfur Sanctions,” Office of Foreign Assets Control, January 16, 2025, https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/sudan-and-darfur-sanctions.  Music by: "Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This episodes discusses torture, please listen with care. Looking for more information? Alice Cuddy, “US Moves 11 Guantanamo Bay Detainees to Oman,” BBC, January 8, 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg3k2v11k5o; S O’Mara, “Captive Brain: Torture and the Neuroscience of Humane Interrogation | QJM: An International Journal of Medicine | Oxford Academic,” QJM: An International Journal of Medicine 111, no. 2 (January 3, 2018): 73–78, https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcx252; Jennifer K. Elsea, “Naval Station Guantanamo Bay: History and Legal Issues Regarding Its Lease Agreements” (Congressional Research Service, August 1, 2022), https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R44137; Carol Rosenberg, “Guantánamo Bay Explained: The Costs, the Captives and Why It’s Still Open,” The New York Times, January 9, 2025, sec. U.S., https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/09/us/politics/guantanamo-prison-costs.html; Carol Rosenberg, “U.S. Sends 11 Guantánamo Prisoners to Oman to Start New Lives,” The New York Times, January 6, 2025, sec. U.S., https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/06/us/politics/guantanamo-prisoners-oman.html; Ellen Knickmeyer, “US Transfers 11 Guantanamo Detainees to Oman After More than 2 Decades Without Charge,” Military.com, January 7, 2025, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/01/07/us-transfers-11-guantanamo-detainees-oman-after-more-two-decades-without-charge.html; Sacha Pfeiffer, “U.S. Transfers 11 Yemeni Prisoners from Guantánamo to Oman,” NPR, January 6, 2025, sec. National Security, https://www.npr.org/2025/01/06/nx-s1-5249126/u-s-transfers-guantanamo-prisoners-oman; The New York Times, “The Guantánamo Docket,” The New York Times, May 18, 2021, sec. U.S., https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/guantanamo-bay-detainees.html; “Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp,” American Civil Liberties Union, accessed January 9, 2025, https://www.aclu.org/issues/national-security/detention/guantanamo-bay-detention-camp; “Guantanamo Bay Detainee Transfer Announced,” U.S. Department of Defense, January 6, 2025, https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4022534/guantanamo-bay-detainee-transfer-announced/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.defense.gov%2FNews%2FReleases%2FRelease%2FArticle%2F4022534%2Fguantanamo-bay-detainee-transfer-announced%2F; “Guantánamo Bay Detention Facility: An Overview,” Center for Victims of Torture, January 7, 2025, https://www.cvt.org/what-we-do/advocating-for-change/legacy-of-us-torture/guantanamo-bay-detention-facility-an-overview/. Music by: "Music for Manatees" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Super Power Cool Dude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/