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In this episode of The Burn Bag, host A’ndre Gonawela is joined by Tony Frangie Mawad, a Venezuela-based journalist and political scientist, to unpack how Venezuela reached its current moment. Long before U.S. strikes and regime collapse, Venezuela’s trajectory was shaped by the rise of Hugo Chávez, the ideology of Chavismo, and the steady erosion of democratic institutions under both Chávez and his successor Nicolás Maduro. Together, they trace how a resource-rich country descended into economic collapse and authoritarian rule — examining the role of oil, populism, repression, and policy choices that reshaped Venezuelan society over two decades. The conversation provides essential historical context for understanding why Venezuela’s political system proved so resilient, and why recent events did not emerge in a vacuum. This is Part One of A'ndre's two-part conversation with Tony on Venezuela. Part Two will examine the U.S. strikes, the arrest of Maduro, and what this turning point means for U.S.–Venezuela relations and the country’s future.

In the final episode of The Nuclear Threshold, A’ndre speaks with Alexandra Bell, President & CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and one of the leading U.S. diplomats behind recent efforts to strengthen arms control and reduce nuclear risks. Building on the technical and command-and-control foundations laid by Laura Grego and Steve Fetter, this conversation shifts to the political and diplomatic fault lines that make today’s nuclear landscape uniquely dangerous. Alexandra explains why nuclear policy has fallen out of public view even as the world edges closer to crisis, and why diplomacy — often undervalued and underfunded — remains the only real mechanism for preventing disaster. Drawing on her experience negotiating the New START Treaty and other engagements, she breaks down the collapse of Cold War–era treaties, the rise of new nuclear states, and the challenge of rebuilding trust in a multipolar world. We also explore how deterrence theory holds up in an era of political volatility and weapons on minutes-notice alert. Alexandra discusses realistic steps the United States and others could take to reduce tensions, the role of scientific cooperation when politics freeze, and why public engagement has always been the catalyst for major progress on nuclear issues. As the Doomsday Clock sits closer to midnight than ever, Alexandra makes the case for “fearless diplomacy” — and why, despite the risks, the path away from catastrophe is still possible if governments and citizens choose it.

In the second installment of The Nuclear Threshold mini-series, we turn from missile defense to the human side of nuclear risk — the people, protocols, and split-second judgments that determine whether nuclear weapons are ever used. While deterrence is often framed as a stable system, history tells a far messier story: false alarms, malfunctioning sensors, training tapes mistaken for real attacks, and leaders operating under extreme pressure. Our guest, Dr. Steve Fetter — Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Maryland, former Assistant Director in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and member of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board — walks us through how nuclear launch authority actually works inside the U.S. system. We explore why the president has sole authority, why that concentration of power is riskier than most Americans realize, and how “launch-on-warning” creates a decision window measured in minutes. Steve breaks down famous near-miss incidents, the vulnerabilities of command-and-control systems, and his proposal to require concurrence from other top officials before any nuclear order is carried out. The conversation is grounded, accessible, and quietly unsettling — a reminder that deterrence relies on human beings who can make mistakes. This episode asks a deceptively simple question with civilization-level implications: How safe is a system that depends on one person getting everything right?

The Nuclear Threshold is a three-part Burn Bag mini-series exploring how deterrence, defense, and diplomacy shape nuclear risk in the 21st century. Across three conversations with leading experts, we examine why technological optimism often outpaces reality, how fragile human systems sustain deterrence, and whether diplomacy can still prevent catastrophe in an increasingly unstable world. In this first episode, astrophysicist Dr. Laura Grego, Research Director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, joins A’ndre Gonawela to break down the science — and the myths — behind missile defense. Grego explains why the United States’ decades-long effort to build a reliable shield against nuclear attack has repeatedly failed, and how those failures risk deepening global instability. From the early “Star Wars” program to today’s multi-billion-dollar “Golden Dome” initiative, she unpacks the physics that make missile interception nearly impossible, the political incentives that keep these programs alive, and the illusion of safety that drives them. The conversation explores how misplaced faith in technology can push the world closer to, not further from, the nuclear threshold.

As the fragile Gaza ceasefire wavers amid renewed airstrikes and mutual accusations of violations, President Donald Trump insists that “nothing will jeopardize” the truce his administration brokered with Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey. Yet the violence on the ground has cast doubt on whether this agreement marks a turning point or just another pause in a long and bitter conflict. To understand what’s at stake, The Burn Bag turns to Ambassador Dennis Ross — the veteran diplomat who helped shape the Oslo peace process and guided U.S. negotiations with Israel and the Palestinians across multiple administrations. Ross analyzes how the current ceasefire was reached, the leverage Washington used to pressure both sides, and the uneasy coalition of Arab mediators that made it possible. He breaks down the complex second phase of the agreement — from disarmament and reconstruction to the future governance of Gaza — and assesses whether U.S. engagement can translate coercive diplomacy into lasting stability. Drawing on lessons from Oslo and decades of regional experience, Ross offers an unsentimental look at what it will take for this truce to hold — and whether the United States can still convert leverage into peace in a region defined by mistrust.

RE-RELEASE: This episode was originally released in February 2025. 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 the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), navigating crises such as Ebola, Zika, H1N1, anthrax, and COVID-19, while working alongside multiple U.S. presidents to shape national and global health policies. Beyond his career in government, Dr. Fauci shares his thoughts on the intersection of public health and national security, the growing challenges of vaccine skepticism and misinformation, and the vital role of institutions like the NIH and CDC in protecting public health. He also highlights the major health threats that remain overlooked in mainstream discourse. Now a professor at Georgetown University, Dr. Fauci reflects on his transition to academia and the importance of training the next generation of medical leaders in an era of evolving global health challenges. You can purchase his recent memoir, On Call, here.

The Pentagon is one of the hardest customers in the world to win over. For startups, the barriers are steep: complex rules, unfamiliar offices, and a culture that doesn’t work like Silicon Valley. But the stakes couldn’t be higher—cracking the Department of Defense can mean scaling breakthrough technologies that shape national security. In this episode of The Burn Bag, A’ndre Gonawela speaks with two of the most influential voices in defense innovation: Steve Blank, the father of the Lean Startup movement and co-founder of Hacking for Defense, and Pete Newell, CEO of BMNT and former leader of the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force. Together, they’ve helped release the 2025 PEO Directory—a first-of-its-kind playbook that maps who buys what inside the Pentagon and how startups can navigate the system. We break down why so many companies fail when they try to sell to the military, what’s changing in the Pentagon’s acquisition culture, and how new reforms could give startups and investors a real shot at competing with defense giants. Steve and Pete also walk through the different paths a startup can take—whether building patiently through government programs or charging directly to the field—and share how founders can take advantage of the PEO Directory. If you’ve ever wondered how innovation actually gets into the hands of warfighters—or why it so often doesn’t—this conversation is your guide to understanding and changing the system. Download the 2025 PEO Directory here. Read Steve Blank's blog post on the Directory here.

In this episode of The Burn Bag, political violence expert Dr. Robert Pape joins us to unpack the alarming rise of political violence in America following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Pape, director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST), argues the U.S. has entered a dangerous new phase—what he calls the “era of violent populism.” We discuss what’s fueling this crisis, from deep demographic change to growing public support for political violence on both the left and the right. Pape breaks down the data behind this surge, why generational shifts in societal wealth can contribute to extremism, and outlines how bipartisan leadership could help de-escalate the moment.

In this episode, A’ndre Gonawela sits down with John McLaughlin, former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the CIA and now Professor of Practice at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Drawing on over three decades in intelligence leadership and his service as a U.S. Army officer in Vietnam, McLaughlin offers a wide-ranging assessment of the U.S. national security landscape. The conversation begins with the state of the intelligence community under the Trump administration, exploring the risks of politicization, the purge of seasoned officers, and why analytic integrity depends on clearly distinguishing what is known, unknown, and judged with confidence. McLaughlin also responds to recent political controversies, including DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s claims about the 2016 election and the enduring debate over Russian interference. Turning to geopolitics, McLaughlin shares his views the War in Ukraine and the Trump administration's handling of Putin's Russia. He also breaks down deterrence with China, including where the U.S. is most deficient in communication, capability, and credibility, and how Washington should approach Taiwan. On the Middle East, he outlines what a realistic U.S. priority stack should be over the next 12 months.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns joins The Burn Bag to unpack the fragile U.S.–China tariff truce, the state of ongoing trade negotiations, and how Beijing is recalibrating its diplomacy in response to President Trump’s return. Drawing on his tenure as America’s top envoy in Beijing from 2022-25, Ambassador Burns explains why he believes Trump is right to pressure China on tariffs—while offering a sharp critique of India’s retaliatory 50% duties and the broader reciprocal tariff regime. Burns weighs in on the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, including the strategic implications of the Modi–Xi–Putin meeting, and assesses how Xi Jinping’s centralized leadership style has hardened China’s power. He and A’ndre also discuss how Chinese officials view Trump’s return to power and the broader risks and opportunities for U.S. diplomacy in Asia. The former ambassador offers a candid, perspective rooted in his recent on-the-ground experience of China’s evolving strategy and the path forward for American policymakers.

Jim Hake, founder of Spirit of America, joins The Burn Bag to discuss why civilians matter in modern national security—and how his organization is filling gaps government can’t. A Silicon Valley entrepreneur turned national security innovator, Jim founded Spirit of America after 9/11 to bring a whole-of-society approach to U.S. missions overseas. In this conversation, Jim breaks down why he believes the U.S. has been “fighting with one hand tied behind its back,” what it means to be not neutral in global competition, and how Spirit of America became the only nonprofit with a formal partnership with the Department of Defense. We explore how his team works alongside U.S. troops and diplomats in places like Ukraine and Taiwan, strengthening trust, building resilience, and shaping outcomes in the gray zone. Jim and A’ndre reflect on where civilian support fits in a new era of strategic competition—and what it says about America’s ability to lead without uniformed force.

Former NSC official Lt. Col. (Ret.) Alexander Vindman joins The Burn Bag to break down the fallout from the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska, the Monday meeting between Trump, Zelenskyy, and European leaders at the White House, and the dangerous trajectory of U.S. diplomacy on Ukraine. A former NSC Director for European Affairs and key Trump impeachment witness, Lt. Col. Vindman argues that Trump’s ad hoc engagement with Putin diminished U.S. credibility, granted Putin international legitimacy, and undermined Ukraine’s sovereignty.  He discusses Putin’s proposed land-for-peace deal, Zelenskyy’s constrained agency, and the risk that Washington’s approach trades away strategic leverage for short-term optics. Lt. Col. Vindman and A'ndre discuss discuss whether Monday's White House Summit of Trump, Zelenskyy, and European allies actually showcased unity, in addition to the current state of the war. The former NSC official offers a candid assessment of what’s at stake—for Ukraine, for Europe, and for American credibility on the global stage. Read Lt. Col. Vindman's new book, The Folly of Realism, here.

The war in Ukraine didn’t start in 2022—it started in Crimea in 2014. In this episode, we sit down with University of Michigan professor and anthropologist Dr. Greta Uehling to explore the story of the Crimean Tatars, Ukraine’s Indigenous people and one of the first communities to resist Russian occupation in 2014. Drawing on years of fieldwork and personal testimony, Greta shares how Crimean Tatars have faced erasure, exile, and repression—yet continue to preserve identity, community, and resistance under impossible conditions. We dive into the historical roots of the Crimean Tatar struggle, their role in shaping Ukraine’s civic identity, and why Crimea remains central to understanding the war today. From silent protests to grassroots organizing, this conversation spotlights the people and stories often left out of the headlines—but at the heart of Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty. Greta's new book, Decolonizing Ukraine: How the Indigenous People of Crimea Remade Themselves after Russian Occupation, is available now.

In this episode of The Burn Bag, A’ndre sits down with retired CIA analyst Gina Bennett, who famously authored the first classified warning about Osama bin Laden in 1993. A key voice in the fight against al-Qaeda — and featured in the Netflix documentary Manhunt — Gina reflects on her decades in intelligence and how the U.S. national security system has long understood the nature of threats. Now, she’s pushing for a paradigm shift with her Hunter-Gatherer National Security theory — a bold framework that challenges the traditional, militarized view of power and argues that skills like emotional intelligence, civic engagement, and social cohesion are just as vital to national security as military might. Together, A’ndre and Gina explore the deep historical biases embedded in how we define “security,” the concept of evolutionary power, the dangers of neglecting civic education in a democracy, and what a more holistic, evolved security strategy could look like.

Dr. Kurt Campbell, former Deputy Secretary of State and an architect of the U.S. “Pivot to Asia,” joins the Burn Bag to unpack the strategic crossroads the United States faces in the Indo-Pacific. In a wide-ranging conversation, Campbell discusses the Trump administration’s ongoing tariff negotiations with key allies and partners, the shifting contours of U.S.-China competition, and why he believes the United States is underestimating Beijing’s long-term scale and capacity. Drawing from his recent Foreign Affairs essay with Rush Doshi, we explore his call for a new strategy of “allied scale” that fuses defense, trade, and technology cooperation. Campbell shares sharp insights on the future of AUKUS, the role of partners such as India, Japan, and Korea, and how the U.S. must adapt its strategy to stay competitive in a region that’s central to the 21st century. Read Kurt's Foreign Affairs op-ed (co-authored with Rush Doshi) here.