EP 387: Ash Carter on Leadership in the Pentagon
Former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter takes me behind the scenes to reveal the inner workings of the Pentagon, its vital mission, and what it takes to lead it. He describes just how massive the D.O.D. is, how he managed a $700 billion dollar budget, and how he recruited top tech talent to the Pentagon. Ash Carter reveals why his background as a physicist came in handy in the Pentagon and how it led him to oppose President Ronald Reagan’s "Star Wars" program in the 80s. He
Ep 386: Vince Houghton on America's Craziest Intelligence Schemes
Vince Houghton, director of the International Spy Museum, returns to take me on a wild tour of missions and schemes that almost happened, but were ultimately deemed too dangerous, expensive, ahead of their time, or insane. These include weaponing animals such as eavesdropping cats, spooky glow in the dark foxes, and one plan to strap incendiary bombs to bats! He reveals some of the CIA’s wackier attempts to take out Castro, the nazi scientist who tried to build a sun gun, a
EP 385: Scott Pelley on Truth, Values, and Journalism
As a 60 Minutes correspondent and former anchor of the CBS Evening News, Scott Pelley has been a witness to events that have changed our world and he talks about some individuals who illustrate the best of America. He recalls the heart-break and exhaustion of reporting on the 9/11 attacks and why he feels it was the finest hour for CBS News. He shares the three rules of journalism that he learned from CBS legend Walter Cronkite, and why he believes that 24-hour cable news c
EP 384: Senator Tom Cotton on the Old Guard of Arlington
Senator Tom Cotton recalls the storied history of the Old Guard of Arlington National Cemetery and the rigorous training he went through to become a member of this elite regiment. He describes what it’s like to perform a military funeral in America’s most hallowed cemetery and how the soldiers of the Old Guard manage to avoid getting choked up. Senator Cotton shares some of the other ceremonies that the Old Guard performs and how the Old Guard played a pivotal role at the P
EP 383: Admiral William McRaven's Life in Special Operations
Admiral William McRaven (Make Your Bed) reveals how a high school track coach inspired him apply for the Navy SEAL program and why he still compares any struggle he faces to the grueling endurance test of the Navy SEALs “Hell Week.” He recalls the night he got a gut feeling he was going to catch Saddam and was right, how Saddam never made his bed while he was in McRaven’s custody, and what McRaven said when he finally decided to meet with Saddam face to face. He talks about
Ep 382: Michael Wolff on Trump Under Seige
Best-selling author Michael Wolff discusses his new book Siege: Trump Under Fire and how he got so many White House sources to speak to him again after his explosive tell-all Fire and Fury. He tells how Steve Bannon remains the ultimate Trump insider even though he's on the outs with the President and why Trump's misfortune has always been Bannon's opportunity. We talk about how Robert Mueller carefully gamed out every step of the Russia probe and whether Mueller may have a
EP 381: Ron Howard on Luciano Pavarotti's Operatic Life
Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13) discusses his new documentary on the life of opera star Luciano Pavarottii. He talks about the art of filmmaking and storytelling, how he approaches a documentary versus a narrative film about a real person, and how he got the idea to present Pavarotti’s story as an opera. We get into Pavarotti the romantic, how Ron got the various women in Pavarotti’s life to participate in the film, and why Pavarotti often c
EP 380: David Epstein on Dabbling vs. 10,000 Hours
David Epstein (The Sports Gene) reveals the flaw in the "10,000 hours" theory of deliberate practice, the fallacy of giving children a head-start, and how it could actually hinder them in the long-run. He shares why athletes should be more like Roger Federer than Tiger Woods and how serial innovators tend to have a broad range of knowledge and experience. David says the internet and open source information is a boon to generalists, but artificial intelligence may put a lot
