The Burn Bag Podcast
Free Speech for Free Palestine? Dr. Yousef Munayyer on Campus Protests, Deportations, and a Shrinking Space for Dissent
In this episode, A’ndre speaks with Dr. Yousef Munayyer, Senior Fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC, about recent U.S. policy developments affecting pro-Palestinian activism, including efforts by the Trump administration to deport foreign students and activists involved in campus protests. The conversation explores how the war in Gaza is shaping political expression in the United States, particularly in the context of university activism, and examines broader questions around immigration ...
Amb. John Bolton on Trump, Tariffs, China, Russia, NATO, and... Greenland?
This week, A’ndre is joined by former National Security Advisor Ambassador John Bolton for a wide-ranging conversation on the return of Donald Trump to the White House — and how the second term is stacking up against the first. Drawing from his front-row experience during Trump’s first administration, Bolton reflects on the decision-making process he witnessed firsthand: the role of personality, the unpredictability, and the often transactional approach to global affairs. We dig into what’s c...
Don't Plan a War in the Group Chat: National Security Lawyer Mark Zaid on Signalgate, Classified Information, and the Limits of Executive Power
This week on the podcast, A’ndre is joined by renowned national security attorney Mark Zaid to unpack the rapidly unfolding scandal now known as Signalgate — a controversy sparked when a The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg was accidentally added to a Signal group chat among senior Trump officials. The chat revealed detailed U.S. military strike plans against Houthi targets in Yemen just hours before the operation, raising alarm bells across Washington about operational security, the handling of s...
What is National Security (Really)? Historian Peter Roady on FDR and the Struggle to Define the Most Powerful Phrase in U.S. Politics
In this episode, A’ndre Gonawela sits down with historian and University of Utah professor Peter Roady to explore how the definition of national security has evolved over the 20th and 21st centuries. They examine how U.S. presidents have shaped national security priorities, focusing on Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s vision in the 1930s—one that included economic security as a core pillar. Roady unpacks the conservative opposition to FDR’s expansive view of national security and how this ideologi...
Biosecurity: Bird Flu, Bioweapons, Artificial Intelligence, and Other Bio-Risks with Dr. Jaime Yassif from the Nuclear Threat Initiative
In this episode, A’ndre Gonawela sits down with Dr. Jaime Yassif, Vice President of Global Biological Policy and Programs at NTI | bio, to explore the evolving landscape of biosecurity and pandemic preparedness. They discuss key lessons from COVID-19, the ongoing Bird Flu, the growing threats posed by zoonotic spillover, bioweapons, and AI-driven bio-risks, as well as the urgent need for stronger governance frameworks. Dr. Yassif shares insights from her recent engagements at the Paris AI Act...
The Trump-Zelensky Fallout: Fmr. U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer Reacts to the White House Debacle
NOTE: This episode was recorded several hours before the announcement that President Trump was pausing all U.S. military aid to Ukraine. In this episode, A’ndre Gonawela sits down with Ambassador Steven Pifer, former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and a leading expert on U.S.-Russia relations, to dissect the fallout from President Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Washington and its impact on U.S.-Ukraine relations. They explore the broader geopolitical ramifications of Zelenskyy’s contentious meeting ...
The World According to A'ndre: Trump’s Friday Night Massacre, the Art of the Mineral Deal, and Podcasters Take Over the FBI
This week, A’ndre examines former President Trump’s decision to fire General CQ Brown as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, exploring the implications for U.S. military leadership, civil-military relations, and his potential replacement, LTG Dan Caine. He then turns to the U.S.-Ukraine critical minerals agreement, analyzing its potential to reshape the war effort while deepening U.S. strategic investment in the region. Lastly, he discusses the latest developments within the FBI under new ...
What in the World? South Korea: Martial Law, Impeachments, and a President Behind Bars feat. Alex Eid and Choong Hong
In this week’s edition of What in the World?, A’ndre discusses the recent political turmoil in South Korea with his colleagues Alex Eid and Choong Hong, both experts on Korean affairs. Alex and Choong break down President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law in December, his subsequent impeachment, arrest, and ongoing criminal case. They also provide historical context on South Korea’s tumultuous political landscape, tracing the country’s transition to democracy since the Ko...
The World According to A'ndre: Putin trumps Zelensky, DOGE Cuts Go Nuclear, the Tariff Sheriff, and Who Wants to Poison Lula?
The Burn Bag is launching a new weekly series: "The World According to A'ndre." Every Friday, A'ndre will break down some of the biggest foreign policy stories he's been tracking, offering his insights and making them accessible to you, our audience. This week, A'ndre unpacks the latest developments in U.S.-Russia negotiations and the rising tensions between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—highlighting why they mark a significant shift from U.S. policy since...
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Pandemics, Public Health, and a Lifetime in Public Service
In this episode, Dr. Anthony Fauci joins A'ndre for an in-depth conversation about his decades-long career in public health and his experiences leading the U.S. response to some of the world’s most pressing infectious disease challenges. Dr. Fauci reflects on his early work during the HIV/AIDS crisis, the evolution of treatments that saved millions of lives, and his role in launching PEPFAR, one of the most significant global health initiatives in history. He discusses his leadership at...
U.S.-India Under Trump: Previewing the Relationship as Modi Heads to Washington with Dr. Tanvi Madan, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
In this episode, A’ndre chats with his old boss Dr. Tanvi Madan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, to examine the evolving landscape of India’s foreign policy and its relationship with the United States under a second Trump administration. Dr. Madan unpacks how India balances strategic autonomy with deepening alignments, particularly within the Indo-Pacific and the Quad. She reflects on the historical trajectory of U.S.-India ties, from India’s independence to the Modi era, highli...
Is Russia Fascist? Putinism, the Russian Far-Right, and the Global Illiberal Trend with Professor Marlene Laruelle
In this episode, A’ndre welcomes Professor Marlene Laruelle, a leading expert on Russian politics and nationalism, for a deep dive into the evolution of far-right politics in Russia. The discussion begins with a foundational exploration of fascism—how it is defined, how it differs from broader far-right politics, and whether Russia’s current trajectory aligns with historical fascist movements. Professor Laruelle traces the development of Russian far-right ideology from the Soviet collapse to ...
What in the World? The Los Angeles Fires: Does California’s Wildfire Prevention and Resilience Require an Operation Warp Speed? feat. Tahra Jirari
On this week's What in the World, A’ndre chatted with Tahra Jirari, Director of Economic Analysis at the Chamber of Progress, on the devastating 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles and the urgent need for systemic reform. A'ndre and Tahra talked about the unprecedented scale of destruction caused by the wildfires, and why Tahra believes they have been exacerbated by regulatory hurdles, housing policies, and insufficient wildfire prevention efforts. Tahra explained how frameworks like the California...
Climate Migration: Why it's a National Security Issue and What We Can Do to Solve It with Erin Sikorsky, Director of The Center for Climate and Security
This episode is the second in a two-parter in collaboration with the Climate Migration Council, to highlight the Council's recent position statement on the linkages between security, climate change, and human migration. In December, A’ndre hosted Erin Sikorsky, Director of the Center for Climate and Security and a former Deputy Director on the National Intelligence Council, for a discussion on the national security implications of climate migration. The conversation centered on a new stateme...
Fmr. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on the Los Angeles Fires, Climate Disasters, and Climate Migration
This episode is the first in a two-parter in collaboration with the Climate Migration Council, to highlight the Council's recent position statement on the linkages between security, climate change, and human migration. This week, A’ndre welcomed former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to discuss the intersection of climate change, human migration, and national security. Reflecting on his experiences during the federal response to the 2007 California wildfires, Secretary Chertoff ...
BEST OF: Is TikTok a Threat? Data Sovereignty, Algorithmic Influence, and the China Factor with Lindsay Gorman, Senior Fellow at GMF Tech
RE-RELEASE: This episode was originally released in April 2024. The TikTok ban took effect late Saturday night, but may be revoked by President-elect Trump. This week, A'ndre is joined by Lindsay Gorman, the Managing Director & Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund’s GMF Tech, to delve into the controversies surrounding TikTok and its implications for national security. Lindsay sheds light on ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, and discusses the concerns surrounding its data storag...
President Jimmy Carter: What was his Foreign Policy Legacy? Featuring Presidential Historian Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky
On Friday, A’ndre chatted with Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, a presidential historian and Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library, to explore President Jimmy Carter’s presidential and post-presidential foreign policy legacy following his passing at age 100. The discussion began by addressing public reactions to Carter’s death and why the dichotomy of a “failed presidency but outstanding post-presidency” is misleading. Dr. Chervinsky highlighted Carter’s foreign policy achie...
Fmr. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper: A Cold Peace and Hot Wars — Threat Forecasting 2025
On January 2nd, A'ndre sat down with former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (2019-2020) to discuss key security challenges facing the United States in 2025 and the Department of Defense's preparedness in addressing them. They began their conversation with a focus on the Middle East, analyzing the aftermath of Assad's ouster and the HTS takeover in Syria, exploring the potential regional consequences of these developments. Secretary Esper also shared his insights on the ongoing Israel-Ham...
Fmr. CIA Director Gen. David Petraeus on the Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine and Gaza
A'ndre sat down with former CIA Director General (Ret.) David Petraeus to discuss the evolution of warfare since 1945, covering conflicts from World War II to Vietnam and the current wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. General Petraeus examines how warfare considerations shifted after World War II and explores the "wars of decolonization" that followed. Drawing on his experience commanding U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, he reflects on what went right and wrong in those op...
Sinwar is Dead: Israel Kills Hamas Leader and What it Means for the War in Gaza, with former Counterterrorism Official Javed Ali
On Thursday, Israel announced that it had killed Hamas' de facto leader Yahya Sinwar near Rafah, a significant development for the ongoing War in Gaza. A'ndre chatted with his old friend and mentor Javed Ali, former Senior Director for Counterterrorism on the U.S. National Security Council, about his reactions to the development and what it could mean for the broader crisis in the Middle East. Javed compares the killing of Sinwar to the elimination of Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah, contrasting...
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if you cut off the "short of" the total duration could be reduced by about 10mins.