Rational Security 2.0: The 'Snowmicron' Edition

This week, Quinta and Scott were joined by RatSec 1.0 co-host and Lawfare editor-in-chief Benjamin Wittes! They sat down to discuss the week's national security news, including:

• “Merrick’s Briefing.” This week, Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected to give a speech about the Justice Department’s efforts to hold the perpetrators of the January 6 insurrection accountable. What do we expect him to say—and what should he say?
• “The Company You Keep.” Former President Trump recently endorsed increasingly authoritarian Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban for re-election. What does this endorsement tell us about Trump—and what may it mean for Orban?
• “It’s a New Extradition, Hot and Fresh Out the Kitchen.” The Justice Department recently secured the extradition of Kremlin insider Vladislav Klyushin, who may have information on a range of Russian intelligence activities, including 2016 election interference. What does this move tell us about how Russian and U.S. law enforcement activities intersect with their intelligence capabilities?

For object lessons, Quinta recommended Katie Kitamura's new book, “Intimacies.” Scott urged parents of sick children everywhere to try to turn to the back catalog of the original The Muppet Show, now available streaming online. And Ben gave a double-header endorsement of both Ben Macintyre's classic history of the Kim Philby spy saga, “A Spy Among Friends,” and Lawfare's own forthcoming podcast miniseries on accountability for the January 6 insurrection, entitled The Aftermath.