Rational Security 2.0: The ‘Benner Than Ever’ Edition

This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by star New York Times reporter Katie Benner to talk through some of the week's biggest national security news stories, including: 

• “The Masked Ringer.” We’re about half way through the Jan. 6 committee’s public hearings—and, despite originally planning a weeks-long pause, the committee is now holding a snap hearing with a surprise witness. What should we make of the hearings so far? And what may we continue to learn?
• “Trouble a-Bruen.” The Supreme Court has issued a decision concluding that the Second Amendment gives Americans a constitutional right to carry a firearm outside their homes for purposes of self-defense. What does this mean for the future of gun control policies—and gun violence?
• “Siri as Snitch.” The end of a constitutional right to abortion has tech experts worried that state authorities will use digital surveillance and data collection to aid in their enforcement of abortion restrictions, including outside their respective states. How real are these risks? And what can be done about them?

For object lessons, Katie gave a strong endorsement to Rachel McAdams's work as a narrator on the audiobook of "Anne of Green Gables" and shared stories of some of her own adventures on Prince Edward Island. Alan recommended Rinker Buck's book "The Oregon Trail." Quinta shared a story wherein a store clerk greeted Rudy Giuliani the only appropriate way: "What's up, scumbag." And Scott recommended a forthcoming law review article, "The New Abortion Battleground," for a fascinating if sobering overview of what the post-Dobbs legal landscape may look like.