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The Steady State Sentinel: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The Steady State
The Steady State Sentinel is produced by The Steady State, a community of former national security professionals who spent their careers safeguarding the United States at home and abroad. Today, we continue that mission by staying true to our oaths to defend the Constitution, uphold democracy, and protect national security. Each episode features expert hosts in conversation with accomplished guests whose experience sheds light on the crises and challenges facing the nation.
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- 2 days ago36 min
ELECTION SPECIAL: America Has Disarmed Against Disinformation — Just Before the Midterms
With the November 3 midterm elections approaching, what happens when the United States dismantles its defenses against disinformation just as the threats intensify? On this episode of The Steady State Sentinel, host Lauren Anderson is joined by disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz, co-founder and CEO of the American Sunlight Project, to examine the growing threats posed by foreign influence operations, political manipulation, and attacks on the institutions responsible for protecting American democracy. Drawing on her experience studying Russian propaganda and serving in the federal government, Jankowicz explains why she believes the Trump administration's rollback of counter-disinformation programs has left the United States increasingly vulnerable to foreign adversaries and domestic manipulation.The conversation also takes a deeply personal turn as Jankowicz recounts the harassment, threats, and intimidation she experienced after being appointed to lead the Department of Homeland Security's Disinformation Governance Board. She and Anderson explore how political intimidation silences researchers and public servants, the erosion of democratic norms, and the dangerous relationship between inflammatory rhetoric and political violence. As Americans prepare to vote, Jankowicz offers practical advice for recognizing disinformation, navigating online manipulation, and engaging constructively with those who hold different beliefs. At its heart, this episode asks a critical question: What happens to a democracy when people are afraid to speak the truth?Nina Jankowicz is an internationally recognized expert on disinformation, democracy, and online harassment, and the co-founder and CEO of the American Sunlight Project, a nonprofit dedicated to combating disinformation and defending freedom of expression. She previously served in the Department of Homeland Security, where she was appointed to lead the Disinformation Governance Board, and has worked with the National Democratic Institute and the Wilson Center on democracy, foreign influence, and information security. Jankowicz is the author of How to Lose the Information War and How to Be a Woman Online, and was named one of TIME magazine's 100 Most Influential People in AI. She also hosts DISARMED, a podcast examining the dismantling of America's defenses against disinformation and the consequences for democratic institutions and national security.
- 1 weeks ago32 min
Trump, Corruption, and a Weaponized DOJ: Can a New Congress Fight Back?
Congressman James Walkinshaw (VA-11) joins host Bree Fram on The Steady State Sentinel to examine the growing challenges to American democracy and Congress's constitutional responsibility to check executive power. Serving on both the House Oversight and Homeland Security Committees, Rep. Walkinshaw discusses the Trump administration's weakening of independent watchdogs, allegations of government corruption, and the challenges of holding federal agencies accountable. From unannounced inspections of ICE detention facilities to congressional subpoenas and investigations, he outlines how lawmakers can confront executive overreach and defend the rule of law.With Election Day just around the corner, Rep. Walkinshaw warns of efforts to undermine confidence in the electoral process and the possibility of challenges to the November results. He and Fram also explore the politicization of the Department of Justice, threats to the independence of the federal workforce, and the importance of preserving a professional, nonpartisan civil service. Despite these challenges, Rep. Walkinshaw makes the case for optimism, arguing that civic engagement, constitutional accountability, and meaningful institutional reform can help America emerge from this period with a stronger democracy. The Steady State has endorsed Rep. Walkinshaw.Congressman James Walkinshaw represents Virginia's 11th Congressional District, a community home to a significant population of federal employees, military families, and national security professionals. He serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the House Committee on Homeland Security, where his work focuses on government accountability, constitutional oversight, and the protection of civil rights. Walkinshaw is the founder and co-chair of the Federal Workforce Caucus, advocating for the independence and professionalism of the federal civil service. Before entering Congress, he served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and as chief of staff to Congressman Gerry Connolly. He is endorsed by The Steady State.
- 2 weeks ago39 min
Frank Kendall Sounds the Alarm: America’s Military Is Being Politicized From the Top Down
From autonomous weapons to political interference, a former Air Force Secretary confronts the threats to America's military future.In this episode of The Steady State Sentinel, retired Space Force Colonel Bree Fram sits down with former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall to examine the future of warfare and the mounting challenges facing America's military leadership. Drawing on Fram's recent firsthand observations in Ukraine and Kendall's book on the future of warfare, they explore how artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, and uncrewed systems are fundamentally transforming modern combat. Kendall explains why America's military must move beyond traditional platforms, what Ukraine's battlefield innovations reveal about the next generation of warfare, and why careful strategic planning is essential to maintaining America's military advantage.The conversation turns to the growing politicization of the Pentagon and the consequences for military professionalism, national security, and democratic accountability. Kendall delivers a sharp assessment of current Defense Department leadership and the rise of authoritarianism. He discusses the revocation of his security clearance, and warns about the dangers of silencing dissent within the armed forces. From the feasibility of the administration's Golden Dome missile defense initiative to the importance of America's alliances, Fram and Kendall examine the difficult decisions facing the nation's military leaders. At the heart of their discussion is a fundamental question: When political pressure conflicts with professional judgment and constitutional obligations, will America's military leaders have the courage to speak up?Frank Kendall served as the 26th Secretary of the Air Force from 2021 to 2025, overseeing the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, and previously served as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics from 2012 to 2017. With more than five decades of experience in national security, military modernization, engineering, and defense acquisition, Kendall has held senior positions across government and the private sector, including Vice President of Engineering at Raytheon and a seat on the Board of Directors of Leidos. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he holds advanced degrees from the California Institute of Technology, Long Island University, and Georgetown University Law Center. He has also worked as a pro bono human rights attorney and is the author of Lethal Autonomy: The Future of Warfare Whether We Like It or Not, published in July 2026.
- 3 weeks ago37 min
“A Few Good People”: James Martin on Service, Democracy & Congress
The Florida congressional candidate on military service, democratic institutions, national security, and why Congress needs to reclaim its constitutional role.Episode Summary:In this candidate edition of The Steady State Sentinel, host Bree Fram sits down with James Martin, Democratic nominee for Congress in Florida’s 21st District and a Coast Guard officer whose career has taken him from commanding cutters to working at the highest levels of the federal government. The Steady State has endorsed James Martin in his congressional race.Martin discusses his closely contested primary, why he believed every vote needed to be counted before declaring victory, and what serving through a presidential transition taught him about the responsibilities national security professionals carry regardless of who occupies the White House. Martin also draws on his experience conducting and overseeing counternarcotics operations to discuss how maritime interdictions work, the intelligence gathered from detained suspects, and the consequences of abandoning established law-enforcement processes. The conversation expands to congressional war powers, the relationship between Congress and the executive branch, and the importance of rebuilding the government's national-security workforce. Martin closes by reflecting on what running for office has taught him and the idea that motivates his campaign: that the country may be only “a few good people” away from changing its direction.Guest bio:James Martin is a fourth-generation Floridian from Hobe Sound and the Democratic nominee for Congress in Florida’s 21st District. A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where he studied Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Martin served nearly a decade on active duty, including a deployment to the Arabian Gulf and command of two Coast Guard cutters based in Fort Pierce. From 2022 to 2025, he served as Chief of Staff for National Security Affairs and Executive Secretary in the Office of the Vice President, serving through the presidential transition. He continues to serve as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve. James Martin is endorsed by The Steady State.
- Oct 6, 202637 min
Spies, Yachts & Kleptocrats: Alex Finley on Russia’s Hidden Money
What bureaucracy, satire, sanctions, and superyachts reveal about intelligence, Russian power, and Western institutions.Episode SummaryFormer CIA officer, journalist, author, and Russian oligarch yacht tracker Alex Finley joins John Sipher for a wide-ranging conversation about intelligence, Russian influence, kleptocracy, and the strange places a career in national security can lead. Finley explains how her background in journalism shaped her work as a CIA reports officer, where verifying sources, understanding access, and connecting intelligence collectors with analysts were central to the job. She also reflects on the War on Terror, the disconnect she saw between policy narratives and realities on the ground, and why those experiences eventually became material for her satirical novels about the absurdities of intelligence bureaucracy.The conversation then turns to Finley’s unlikely second career tracking Russian oligarchs’ superyachts. What began as curiosity about enormous yachts appearing in Barcelona became a window into the financial networks surrounding Russian elites. Finley explains how yachts can expose the movement of oligarch wealth; the Western banks, lawyers, businesses, and legal systems that enable it; and the challenges governments face when sanctioned assets become tied up in years of litigation. The episode closes with a broader discussion of Russian influence operations, political will in Europe, democratic institutions, and whether there are still reasons for optimism.Guest bioAlex Finley is a former CIA operations officer, author, journalist, and open-source researcher focused on Russian influence and kleptocracy. Initially a journalist covering national security and Washington, she later served overseas with the Agency. Finley is the author of a trilogy of satirical novels about the intelligence world and writes Rant with Alex Finley, a Substack covering national security, democracy, corruption, and politics. She has also become widely known for tracking superyachts linked to Russian oligarchs, using open-source information to examine sanctions, hidden ownership, and the financial networks surrounding Russia’s political elite.
- Sep 29, 202652 min
You Don’t Set Quotas for Law Enforcement Because Bad Things Are Going to Happen
A sheriff, a former immigration official, and an immigration policy director examine what happens when aggressive immigration enforcement collides with policing, constitutional rights, and community trust.In the third installment of The Steady State Sentinel’s series on immigration, hosts Peter Mina and Lauren Anderson examine what happens when immigration enforcement collides with the Constitution, public safety, civil rights, and community trust. They are joined by Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce, former ICE Chief Counsel Paul Hunker, and American Immigration Council Policy Director Nayna Gupta, who share perspectives from local law enforcement, federal immigration practice, and immigrant advocacy. Their conversation explores enforcement quotas, prosecutorial and law-enforcement discretion, the detention of legal immigrants, longtime community members, third-country removals, and the growing challenge of maintaining public confidence in law enforcement.The discussion goes beyond the immediate controversies to ask what a credible immigration enforcement system could look like. The guests examine the relationship between constitutional rights and effective policing, the long-term consequences when immigrant communities become reluctant to engage with law enforcement, and proposals built around compliance, safety, proportionality, and accountability.
- Sep 22, 202640 min
143 Day incarceration : A Lawful Permanent Resident, a Bad $25 Check, and the Cost of America's Immigration System
A legal-status hospice care provider detained for 143 days tells her story — the conditions inside, the demand for obscure "magical paperwork," and why she and her husband are now fighting to change the law.Hosts Lauren Anderson and Peter Mina sit down with Donna Hughes-Brown, a British-born lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States for nearly 50 years, and her husband Jim Brown, a Navy corpsman who served 20 years including Desert Storm.In July 2025, returning from Ireland through Chicago O'Hare, Donna was detained by CBP — requesting she show "some magical paperwork" — and would spend the next 143 days in immigration detention. Her offense: a bad $25 check written to a grocery store in 2012 that had already been adjudicated and was only a misdemeanor. She describes being handcuffed on the jet bridge, no medication for six weeks, and a corrections officer invoking the "five-second rule" when her pill hit the floor.Jim describes calling 200 congressional offices and being told "we don't do legal stuff" — until he told one staffer to resign and turn in their badge, and a week later got a call: “Can you be in D.C. on Wednesday?” Donna warns all listeners : "Just because you're legal doesn't mean you're safe." The episode closes with a description of her data-driven advocacy — 84% of detainees have no criminal record, 19,000 homicides by U.S. citizens last year versus nine by immigrants — and her mission to treat all persons with dignity: "Before you are any of those things, you are human first."Episode Transcript
- Sep 15, 202637 min
No Cloak, No Dagger: A Professor's Secret Life Inside the CIA
A distinguished professor and decorated intelligence officer on 25 years of balancing academia and espionage, the value of scientific credentials in the field, and why diversity makes the CIA stronger.Host Jim Lawler sits down with his former CIA colleague Dr. Les Paldy, a distinguished service Professor Emeritus at Stony Brook University who spent 25 years balancing two identities: university professor by day and and on contract with the CIA in service to the United States. Paldy shares how he was first recruited — a classic spotting operation by a former Agency officer who approached him after a conference talk.He explains how his scientific credentials allowed him to "go where others could not," attending conferences in China and Eastern Europe to spot and assess foreign scientists as potential recruitment targets. He describes the cultural differences between academia and the CIA — the openness and shared inquiry of the university versus the compartmentation and top-down directives of the Agency.He reveals how he kept his secret life hidden from colleagues for decades, with only his wife and two sons knowing he was "doing something with the CIA." He reflects on what people get wrong about the Agency, why diversity is essential to its mission, and why he'd do it all over again. The episode closes with advice for young people considering intelligence careers.Guest info: Lester Paldy is a distinguished service professor emeritus at Stony Brook University and a decorated former intelligence officer. He served on teams in the CIA's Directorate of Operations and the FBI Counterintelligence Training Center at Quantico, Virginia. He is a former Marine Infantry Officer and the author of No Cloak, No Dagger: A Professor's Secret Life Inside the CIA. He spent 25 years balancing a career in academia with service as with the CIA , using his scientific credentials to spot and assess foreign scientists at conferences around the world.Episode Transcript
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About The Steady State Sentinel
The Steady State Sentinel is produced by The Steady State, a community of former national security professionals who spent their careers safeguarding the United States at home and abroad. Today, we continue that mission by staying true to our oaths to defend the Constitution, uphold democracy, and protect national security. Each episode features expert hosts in conversation with accomplished guests whose experience sheds light on the crises and challenges facing the nation.
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