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In this podcast episode of “What is Engaged Pluralism Podcast,” Kimberly Williams Brown of Vassar College Executive Director of The Steady State, Steven Cash, as he discusses an earlier disrupted talk at the college. Cash urges civic engagement, dialogue, and constitutional literacy as he warns that rising political polarization and attempts to control speech, whether […]
While China’s military purge reflects its authoritarian system, the United States is choosing a similar path—trading competence for loyalty and risking long-term strategic consequences. Secretary of Defense Hegseth has ironically expanded US military competition with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – not to improve our position vis-a-vis China, but through a politically driven purge of […]
An abridged version of the author’s “Emergency Planning: The president is Preparing to Challenge 2026 Midterms. The Country Can Still Act to Protect Them,.” Published by The Washington Spectator You don’t need certainty about how a crisis unfolds to know preparation is essential. Most Americans have never heard of Presidential Emergency Action Documents. Known as […]
The fixation on a ballroom over a breach is not just tone-deaf—it’s evidence of a governing culture hollowed out by loyalty tests and detached from its most basic responsibilities. The annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, on April 25, 2026, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC, was interrupted when shots were fired near the […]
What happens when the executive branch starts stripping security clearances from private attorneys who represent whistleblowers? Mark Zaid knows firsthand, because Donald Trump put him on a list with Kamala Harris, Liz Cheney, and Joe Biden (among others). In this episode, two former intelligence officers sit down with one of Washington’s most fearless national security […]
DATE-TIME GROUP: 0416000ZAPRIL26 FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C. TO: MFA NAGADOCHES CLASSIFICATION: CONEOFSILENCE // FREDONIAN EYES ONLY SUBJECT: Iran War, Ceasefire Fragility, and Regional Escalation SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE IRAN WAR AND ITS BROADER REGIONAL IMPACTS. THE […]
Graphic: https://stablediffusionweb.com As autocrats dismantle institutional constraints, they inherit the impossible task of managing everything themselves—creating an opening for resistance that compounds pressure across multiple fronts. The question is always asked: What do we do about a rising authoritarian? Those of us at The Steady State have spent decades studying this problem abroad, often in […]
Former CIA officer Jim Lawler and former FBI senior executive Lauren C. Anderson host Mark Zaid, a renowned national security attorney who has represented whistleblowers, been personally targeted by a presidential clearance revocation, and fought for government transparency for nearly three decades. They discuss the real difference between a whistleblower and a leaker (using Edward […]
Government Transparency, Security Clearance Battles, and the Future of American Democracy Former CIA officer Jim Lawler and former FBI senior executive Lauren C. Anderson host Mark Zaid, a renowned national security attorney who has represented whistleblowers, been personally targeted by a presidential clearance revocation, and fought for government transparency for nearly three decades. They discuss […]
Graphic Generated by AI President Trump is escalating his efforts to use the DOJ as an instrument of vengeance, using loyal appointees and dubious legal maneuvers to tilt the system—undermining the courts and the rule of law. The recent announcement that octogenarian Joe diGenova has been called out of obscurity to lead the South Florida-based […]