In this episode of Understandable Insights, Sue and Eric discuss U.S. global influence on display as a C5+1 White House celebration, a former al-Qaeda–linked Syrian leader visits, and the State Department expresses irritation as the EU grabs first-mover ground in standards—from a draft Space Act to AI policy. They weigh the case for an AI bubble and the benefits of natural down-selection versus the risks of chilling real adoption. Plus: post-election signals, pragmatic U.S.–Syria engagement, and a salute to the 250th Marine Corps Birthday. They close with What We’re Watching: tariffs at the Supreme Court, Secretary of War’s speed vs. assurance procurement debate, and Virginia’s data-center energy discussion.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Introduction to Understandable Insights

02:28 Election News Recap

07:34 Senate Proposal to End Government Shutdown

10:22 US-Central Asia Diplomatic Relations

13:33 Increased US Military Presence in Syria

21:32 EU Space Act Controversy

28:32 Eu AI Regulation Drawback

41:15 What We’re Watching

About the show:

Understandable Insights: Information to Intelligence with Sue Gordon is the national security podcast that provides you an elemental understanding of the world as it is, not how you prefer it to be.

Each week, Eric Koepp — a former Marine, father, and entrepreneur — sits down with the Honorable Sue Gordon, the nation’s former top career intelligence officer. Together, they break down the headlines shaping our world and ask what they really mean for citizens, leaders, and institutions.

From armed conflict to emerging tech, foreign interference to the resilience of democracy — this is where raw information becomes real intelligence. Unfiltered. Candid. Unapologetically clear.

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