Delivering the deepest, darkest insights into the U.S. national security enterprise. We interview leading experts, leaders, and insiders who can go beyond the headlines of what is happening in the intelligence, defense, and law enforcement communities. Join our hosts, Brian Drake and Lindy Kyzer, every week as they ask hard questions about the direction of the U.S., its Allies, and enemies.
Episode List
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Words as Weapons? - Free Speech and National Security
In this episode, Lindy and Brian test the limits of free speech in national security. What is the way forward when America's constitutional protections threaten to undermine the fabric of its democracy? Given that neither Brian nor Lindy are experts, they interview someone who is; Jane Kirtley. Professor Kirtley is the Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota. She has written friend-of-the-court briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as two books and articles for scholarly journals and for the popular and professional press. We discuss at length her article for the American Constitution Society blog on disinformation. You can find the article here: https://www.acslaw.org/expertforum/liability-for-amplification-of-disinformation-a-law-of-unintended-consequences/
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com
Thank you to Dragon Forge Consulting for sponsoring this episode.
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Breaking Norms in the Defense Innovation Ecosystem
In this episode, Lindy and Brian try their hand at making Federal procurement and innovation policy "un-boring." They probe the question of whether the Department of Defense/War is making the right moves to inspire innovation and competition while delivering capabilities to the field. Unredacted was lucky to snag one of the most preeminent thinkers on Defense Innovation, Tyrome "Ty" Smith, to weigh-in on this question. Brian and Ty dive deep, swap stories, and play a couple of games to answer listener questions.
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com.
Thank you to Dragon Forge Consulting for sponsoring this podcast!
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Building Bonds of Trust with Lindy Kyzer
In this episode, Brian interviews Lindy about her new book Trust Me. Lindy shares some rare insights into how the security process actually works and what the future holds for current and aspiring clearance holders.
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com
Thank you to Dragon Forge Consulting for sponsoring this podcast!
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The Adventures of a CIA Inspector General
This week Lindy and Brian celebrate the New Year with tips to deceive your loved ones based on the miracles of time zones. They also interview Dave Buckley, the former IG of the Central Intelligence Agency. In this episode, Dave educates us on what an IG does and does not do, the challenges of inspecting an organization with people who are trained to lie for a living, and why its important to preserve the integrity of inspections for government.
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com
Thank you to Dragon Forge Consulting for sponsoring this podcast!
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Catching an Iron Butterfly
In their first ever podcast crossover, we interview Megan Jaffer for The Unredacted Podcast. Megan and her partner in crime, Cadie Hopkins, started the Iron Butterfly Podcast in 2020. It has since become a juggernaut of content creation for the U.S. Intelligence Community. Brian and Lindy also discuss equity issues in National Defense and Intelligence and the importance of creating space for conversations on gender issues.
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com
Thank you to Dragon Forge Consulting for sponsoring this episode.
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Upholding Our Promise to America's Afghan Allies
In the aftermath of the attack on West Virginia National Guard members, Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe, Brian and Lindy talk about the fallout and policy implications for Afghan resettlement. More specifically, they explore what changes to the Special Immigrant Visa program mean for our Afghan and Iraqi allies. We also have the pleasure of speaking with Andy Sullivan and Mariah Smith about their work with the non-profit No One Left Behind.
For more information on No One Left Behind, please click here: https://www.nooneleft.org/
If you would like to make a donation to No One Left Behind, please navigate to: https://give.nooneleft.org/campaign/664214/donate
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com
Thank you to Dragon Forge Consulting for sponsoring this episode.
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![A man named Anthony Vinci is wearing a suit and sitting indoors near a window with a podcast title overlay that says "The UnRedacted Podcast."]()
Revolutionary Ideas from Anthony Vinci
This week we interview Anthony Vinci. Anthony has been a Case Officer, a Venture Capitalist, Artificial Intelligence Evangelist, and a Geospatial Intelligence Leader. Now assumes the mantle of author. He just published a new book: The Fourth Intelligence Revolution. On this episode, Lindy and Brian share how his ideas connect with our daily lives even in the far flung corners of Venezuela, and discuss Lindy's not-so-secret obsession with Riley Green.
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com
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![A man named Scotty Wirtz with a beard wearing sunglasses on his head, crouching outdoors with a black and white dog, with a title overlay that reads 'The Unredacted Podcast'.]()
Remembering Scotty - An Interview with Sandy Wirtz
This week on The Unredacted Podcast, we talk about the most popular rock concert you will never attend: Spookstock. In the spirit of Spookstock, Brian interviews Sandy Wirtz. Sandy is the mother of, retired Navy SEAL and Defense Intelligence Agency employee, Scotty Wirtz. Scotty was taken from us in 2019 while serving DIA in Syria. He was also the inspiration for creating the Defense Intelligence Memorial Foundation (DIMF). The DIMF gives scholarships to the surviving children of fallen Defense Intelligence Officers from DIA, NSA, NGA, NRO, and the Intelligence Service Centers. On this episode, Sandy shares with us her memories of Scotty, her friendship with Brian Drake, and how she hopes Scotty's story will inspire others.
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you would like to make a donation to the DIMF, please click here: https://www.defenseintel.org/store
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com
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![The cover of 'The Unredacted Podcast' with the title in bold red and black text on a white background.]()
Welcome to the Unredacted Podcast
Our introductory episode discusses how Lindy and Brian think about national security, what content they will cover in the upcoming episodes, and the types of people they will interview.
Music by Gramatik from the album #Digitalfreedom
If you have a question or a suggestion for a future episode, please email us at: questions@unredactedpodcast.com
