This week on Bombshell Loren and Erin hold down the fort and ask the brilliant Elsa Kania to explain the new Chinese defense white paper. Britain has a new PM, Pakistan’s visited the US, and there are ongoing protests in Moscow and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, we might have a budget deal? And the president keeps trying to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia. Erin finally saw Capt. Marvel and we collectively wish cast a real Mara Jade adventure.
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China
Imran Khan
Russia Protests
Hong Kong protests
Budget Deal
Hyten Confirmation
Erin, Radha and Loren reunite with author and general badass Nada Bakos to talk about her new book, The Targeter. Foreign relations are pretty lit these days: possible Russian funding of far-right politics in Italy, tiny steps of progress in Afghan govt-Taliban negotiations, and an unexpected political agreement in post-coup Sudan. The music hasn’t stopped in the latest round of DOD musical chairs and the UK ambassador to the US was defenestrated by tweet. All in all stranger than fiction - so do read more fiction!
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Sudan
Italy/Russia
Iran Tanker
Afghanistan
Erin, Radha and Loren return after some technical difficulties to rehash the G20, a newsy leader summit full of the president reversing the well-honed positions of his staff. Radha explains how China and the US are talking trade again, with a re-opening of US exports to Huawei and a gentle ask that China remake itself utterly. White House mayhem reminds us all that we almost went to war with Iran and we have no leaders anywhere at the Department of Defense. And do you have summer reading material to distract yourself from the world? Bombshell can help with its summer reading list.
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G20
Iran
Trade