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Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

2025: 10 Events That Changed the World

SPECIAL REPORT — In a turbulent year, one of the biggest national security stories came in the form of a document.The administration’s National [...] More

Building U.S. Drone Dominance Brick by Brick

Building U.S. Drone Dominance Brick by Brick

OPINION — One of the things I loved about LEGO as a child was the ability to mix and match an endless amount of parts to create unique builds. [...] More

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

It was a nice quiet weekend in the national security and foreign policy front – but we scraped up a couple items you might have missed….PYONGYANG CLEARS ITS THROAT (WITH BALLISTIC MISSILES) -- North Korea kicked off the new year the only way it knows how: by lobbing ballistic missiles into the sea and daring everyone to notice. Reuters reports that the launches came just ahead of South Korea’s president heading to China — a helpful reminder from Kim Jong Un that diplomacy should never proceed without a weapons test as background music. Pyongyang also used the moment to denounce the U.S. operation that removed Venezuelan [...] More

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State Secrets

In this edition of the State Secrets podcast, we’re talking with two men who are carrying one of the most legendary torches in modern thriller history. Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson are the powerhouse duo behind the tier one series and are the authors of the latest novel in the Tom Clancy, Jack Ryan universe - Executive Power. Host Suzanne Kelly talks with them about a covert team wiped out in Angola and a high-stakes hostage with action playing out on a global scale, of course. In other words, all the good stuff.