Tech Colonels, Posse Comitatus, Iran
Sirens: A Bombshell production
This is Sirens, a new podcast from the hosts of Bombshell. This week Loren, Erin, and Radha recast military movies with Muppets and kick off "it's a drill" - cocktail chatters on recent events like the commissioning of tech leaders and stalling of the big beautiful bill. Diving deeper with "Dumpster Fires," they talk concerns on domestic use of military forces and promise and perils of AI in public sector. With "Warning Signs" they dig into slow burn crises and long term hazards, with this week (no surprise) on Iran. How did we get here and is it a big deal? Closing out, a Gong Show...
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Cozy Mysteries, Delicious fantasy, and Nonfiction?
Sirens: A Bombshell production
This is Sirens, a new podcast from the hosts of bombshell. This week Loren, Erin, and Radha are experimenting with shorter form content to dive deep on matters large and small in between thelonger shows. Our first one explores summer reading philosophy, and you'll come away with a dozen ideas for your beach library. Come for the cozy or delicious novels, stay for the new series you should try. There's also some nonfiction if that's you thing!
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Bond markets, AI and DOGE2025
Sirens: A Bombshell production
This is Sirens, a new series, brought to you by the Ladies of Bombshell - Loren DeJonge Schulman, Radha Iyengar Plumb, and Erin Simpson. In this episode, our hosts talk about why they are launching a new podcast, reveal what horrible things they have discovered at the bottom of their work bags, and talk about issues that may lure men to their death (but in a good way!). They discuss what's stuck in their craw from the big beautiful bill to changes in foreign student rules to drama in the national security council. Then, they deep dive on key issues like why is there a race on AI,...
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Look what you made me do
Sirens: A Bombshell production
Loren, Erin, and Radha reunite for a special 90 minute episode to break down the biggest and messiest issues from the first 100 days of the second Trump administration. Come for the new (AI!) ice breakers, stay serious analysis (and gossipy intrigue) of tariffs-ahem-TRADE TAXES, a whole new world of foreign relations, and general government mayhem. And of course pop culture from spicy dragon books to Star Wars to our old favorite Thomas Cromwell. (An independent production)
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Then One Foggy Christmas Eve
Sirens: A Bombshell production
In the tradition of British dramas, Erin, Loren, and Radha reunite for a special holiday episode. The ladies flip the script, answering a range of questions from the first ever Manniversary guest Kai Ryssdal. They then return to some of their greatest hits including transition process, civ-mil issues, and personnel policy replete with process details and holiday movie analogies. Stay through the end to hear pop culture recommendations and special appearances from many former guests with answers to their favorite Bombshell questions.
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One for the Road
Sirens: A Bombshell production
For their 100th episode, Erin, Loren and Radha discuss new issues, like the escalating conflict at the Ethiopia-Eritrea border, old issues, like HVT targeting of al-Qaeda leadership, and, of course, continuing trade issues with China. They then turn to a discussion of all the White House mayhem (Ok, not all! No one has that kind of time), including lack of legal authority for Department of Homeland Security leadership to make decisions about DACA, the Defense Department “purge,” and the complicated, not-quite-yet-started transition of the Biden administration. The team ties a bow on this...
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Anticipation Is Making Me Late
Sirens: A Bombshell production
Loren, Erin, and Radha are joined by their most frequent guest (Kori Schake) and a new guest (Katrina Mulligan) to discuss foreign policy issues we'll need to worry about regardless of the election outcome! After a lively discussion, the ladies go over foreign policy issues that have been over-discussed, under-discussed, and the processes that will always be their valentines. They wrap up with pop culture, self-care, and indulgences to help get you through election day and beyond!
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Final Countdown
Sirens: A Bombshell production
Loren, Radha, and Erin reconvene to explore many of Bombshell's greatest hits - Brexit, troop levels in Afghanistan, and arms control. With a dash of ethnic conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh thrown in for flavor. The ladies then drop a Bombshell of their own: this fair podcast will be wrapping up in 2020. It's the final countdown!
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Karma Puh-leeze
Sirens: A Bombshell production
Erin, Radha and Loren use COVID-19 as a frame to ask what this crazy time has brought to our attention, what it’s distracted is from, what it’s possibly helped, and how it’s shaped our own skills and interests. And shopping. Links “,” Reuters, October 01, 2020 “,” The Guardian, October 05, 2020 Todd Lopez, “,” US Department of Defense, September 29, 2020
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When There are Nine
Sirens: A Bombshell production
This week, Mira Rapp-Hooper and Rebecca Lissner return to the show to discuss American grand strategy, female partnerships, and their fabulous new book, . The ladies then revisit the administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East - with notes on the UAE-Israel accord and Iran sanctions drama. Also, Tiktok! Soothing pop-culture ties a bow on it.
info_outlineIn this week’s episode, while Loren cleans out her office, Radha and Erin dig into an array of China-related topics: Huawei! India! Hong Kong! And last, but certainly not least, the World Health Organization. The ladies then turn to White House/American mayhem and try to be analytical while lamenting ongoing violence against black Americans and the potential deployment of U.S. troops in American cities. And finally, an awkward transition to a discussion of pop-culture yields some gems.
Links
Huawei
- Scott Bade, “Huawei’s Terrible Week,” Tech Crunch, May 30, 2020
- Emily Feng, “The Latest US Blow to China’s Huawei Could Knock Out Its Global 5G Plans,” NPR, May 28, 2020
India Border
- Jeffrey Gettleman and Steven Lee Myers, “China and India at 14,000 Feet Along the Border,” New York Times, May 30, 2020
Hong Kong
- Sergei Klebnikov, “Trump Announces New Sanctions On Chinese Officials, But Won’t Scrap Phase One Trade Deal,” Forbes, May 29, 2020
- “Trump Targets China Over Hong Kong Security Law,” BBC News, May 30, 2020
- Kenneth Rapoza, “Imaging Hong Kong Without Its US Special Status Deal,” Forbes, May 29, 2020
- Jack Caporal, “The US-China Mini Deal (That Never Was?)” CSIS, October 17, 2019
WHO
- Brianna Ehley and Alice Miranda Ollstein, “Trump Announces US Withdrawal from the World Health Organization,” Politico, May 29, 2020
- “Coronavirus: Backlash After Trump Signals US Exit from WHO,” BBC News, May 30, 2020
Protests in US
- Dan Lamothe, “Trump Administration Offers Active-Duty Military Forces and Intelligence to Help Quell Minnesota Unrest,” Washington Post, May 30, 2020
- Samuel Sinyangwe, Tweet, October 5, 2019
- Jennifer Doleac, Tweet, May 31, 2020
- Megan Ming Francis, Tweet, May 30, 2020
- Audrey McNamara, “ Paul Mayor Says Earlier Comments About Arrested Protesters Being Out of State Were Not Correct,” CBS News, May 30, 2020
- “Pentagon Puts Military Police on Alert to Go to Minneapolis,” CNBC, May 30, 2020
George Floyd
- Kate Shellnutt, “George Floy Left a Gospel Legacy in Houston,” Chrsitanity Today, May 28, 2020