Jessica Yellin founded News Not Noise to do what the title implies separate the important news from the noise. Her goal is to “give information. Not a panic attack.” With over 193,000 Substack subscribers and 792,000 followers on Instagram, Jessica has become a trusted voice in a chaotic media environment—breaking down what matters, why it matters, and what you can safely scroll past. She’s part of a new movement of independent journalists that are taking advantage of platforms that allow indivi...
Jun 27, 2025•22 min•Season 7Ep. 20
Michael Giorgione joined Strategerist host Andrew Kaufmann and Lieutenant Commander, USNR D’Juan Wilcher, Deputy Director of Veterans and Military Families at the Bush Institute, to discuss his time at Camp David and how his 29 years of military service helped him there and continues to inspire his teachings today.
Jun 17, 2025•39 min•Season 7Ep. 19
As a young officer in the U.S. special forces, Blayne Smith faced the difficult realities of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. And while not everyone will experience war first-hand, the lessons that Blayne learned apply to all of us. Today, he’s helped build the Bush Institute Veteran Wellness Alliance’s Check-In program that helps veterans get connected to mental health care. He joined Strategerist host Andrew Kaufmann and Jason Galui, Director of Veterans and military Families at the Bush Instit...
Jun 12, 2025•35 min•Season 7Ep. 18
Jenny Dyer, founder of the 2030 Collaborative and artist and music producer Charlie Peacock were part of a coalition of experts, artists, and policymakers such as Bono, Senator Bill Frist, and many others that were instrumental in building the awareness around the AIDS epidemic in Africa, and the consensus needed to keep the President’s Emergency for AIDS Relief Plan or PEPFAR, which has saved over 26 millions lives from HIV/AIDS since its inception in 2003 moving forward. Dr. Dyer and Charlie j...
Jun 11, 2025•36 min•Season 7Ep. 17
Learn about the Bush Center's Forum on Leadership: https://www.bushcenter.org/events-and-exhibits/forum-on-leadership-2025
Jun 09, 2025•20 min•Season 7Ep. 14
To learn more about the work the Tocqueville Foundation does, click here .
Jun 06, 2025•32 min•Season 7Ep. 16
Dr. Turner served as SMU’s president for 30 years. During his impressive career, he achieved significant milestones from being a key player in bringing the George W. Bush Presidential Center to SMU’s campus to getting SMU into to the ACC. He has left quite a legacy. Dr. Turner visited the Bush Center for the annual Forum on Leadership and met with Strategerist host Andrew Kaufmann to discuss his thirty years at SMU along with the story of bringing the Bush Center to SMU’s campus — which had some...
May 29, 2025•23 min•Season 7Ep. 15
To learn more about the Bush Center’s work on Advancing Free Societies, visit bushcenter.org/topics/freedom-and-democracy. And learn more bout the National Endowment for Democracy at https://www.ned.org/
May 08, 2025•45 min•Season 7Ep. 13
Strategerist host Andrew Kaufmann and Devon Yarbrough, Communications Manager at the George W. Bush Presidential Center sat down with Milauna Jackson who portrays Captain Abby Campbell in the 2024 Netflix film, “The Six Triple Eight” and Retired Army Col. Edna Cummings, a passionate advocate whose work led to two crucial recognitions for the 6888. Milauna discusses what it was like working on the Netflix film while Col. Cummings shares the behind-the-scenes bipartisan advocacy for the battalion ...
May 01, 2025•43 min•Season 7Ep. 11
To learn more about the incredible heroes of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion like Dennis' grandmother, Sylvia Armstrong, watch the documentary The SixTriple Eigh t .
Apr 29, 2025•35 min•Season 7Ep. 12
Order a copy of Remember Us: American Sacrifice, Dutch Freedom and a Forever Promise Forged in World War II on the Bush Center's website.
Apr 21, 2025•49 min•Season 7Ep. 10
Dr. Jeffrey Engel is an award-winning presidential historian and the David Gergen Director of the SMU Center for Presidential History. He’s authored or edited thirteen books on American foreign policy and spent a good part of his career at the Bush School of Government and Public Service in College Station before coming to SMU. He joins host Andrew Kaufmann and Kevin “Sully” Sullivan, former White House Communications Director under President Bush and Senior Advisor to the George W. Bush Preside...
Apr 10, 2025•43 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Retired U.S. Army Captain Florent Groberg is one of 3,528 recipients of the Medal of Honor—the highest military honor awarded to those who serve in the United States armed forces. Flo joins host Andrew Kaufmann and Michael Bailey, Deputy Director of the Leadership Programs at the Bush Institute to discuss his service to our country and what leadership means both in the uniform and as a civilian.
Mar 25, 2025•42 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Chuck Todd is an Emmy award-winning journalist while NBC’s Chief Political Analyst and former moderator for Meet the Press, which he stepped away from in September 2023. Although he stepped away from the moderator’s chair, he still covers politics this his podcast, The Chuck Toddcast. He joined Strategerist host Andrew Kaufmann and Senior Editorial Advisor at the Bush Institute Bill McKenzie to discuss how the journalism ecosystem has changed and evolved and how local news should be driving nati...
Mar 18, 2025•38 min•Season 7Ep. 7
If you enjoyed this episode, watch Purpose Beyond the White House: A Conversation on the Post-Presidency , an Engage at the Bush Center event presented by NexPoint featuring Jared Cohen.
Mar 13, 2025•46 min•Season 7Ep. 6
The Honorable James D. Rodriguez served as Assistant Secretary within the Biden administration Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service from January 2021 until January 2025 where he served 440,000 veterans annually. He is an accomplished executive leader with over 30 years experience across the government and corporate landscapes and over 20 years in the United States Marine Corps in numerous leadership and management positions. Last year, he joined Strategerist host Andrew ...
Mar 12, 2025•38 min•Season 7Ep. 5
To learn more about Natalia's work at the Free Russia Foundation click here .
Mar 05, 2025•26 min•Season 7Ep. 4
Limited signed copies of Larry Thompson’s book ”The Quiet Counsel Looking Back on a Life of Service to the Law” are available for purchase at the Bush Museum here .
Feb 27, 2025•25 min•Season 7Ep. 3
Ambassador Nicole Avant is a critically acclaimed producer of the Netflix film The Six Triple Eight, bestselling author of Think You’ll Be Happy, and former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas under President Obama. We discuss Ambassador Avant’s contributions and what led her to the Netflix film “The Six Triple Eight”, the influence of her incredible parents — which inspired her book “Think You’ll Be Happy” — and how to live out our freedom every single day.
Feb 21, 2025•31 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Related links Texas Education Agency Education and Opportunity at the Bush Institute
Jan 22, 2025•54 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Madame President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a true trailblazer — she served as the president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018 and was the first elected female head of state in Africa. And now she’s dedicated to helping other women ascend to leadership roles through her work at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development. President Sirleaf joined the Bush Institute’s Natalie Gonnella-Platts and host Andrew Kaufmann for a conversation with our staff about leading her country ...
Dec 06, 2024•52 min•Season 6Ep. 27
Mary Tobin is the Director of Brickyard Chapters and Programs for nonprofit More Perfect Union, which aims to bring people together through social connection, service, and civic engagement events in order to build stronger and more resilient communities. She joined host Andrew Kaufmann and the Bush Institute’s Jason Galui for an impactful conversation on More Perfect Union’s mission, how her experiences in the military helped her grow, and the importance of human connection. Hear more from Mary ...
Nov 07, 2024•45 min•Season 6Ep. 26
Rena Pederson is a true trailblazer in journalism. During her storied career, she interviewed five U.S. presidents and countless history makers including Margaret Thatcher and Fidel Castro. Texas Monthly described her as one of the most powerful women in Texas during her time serving as vice president and editorial page editor at The Dallas Morning News . Rena has left the newsroom, but her love of words continues in her next chapter. She recently released The King of Diamonds: The Search for th...
Oct 31, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 25
Mere months ago, Russian activist and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza thought he would die in Siberia, where he was imprisoned for speaking out against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. This week, he sat with his wife Evgenia and staff at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas as a free man, where he told us about his experiences in prison, his joy when released, and his fight for democracy in Russia — a country he loves and refuses to give up on. His wife Evgenia...
Oct 26, 2024•50 min•Season 6Ep. 24
John J. Sullivan is the former U.S. Ambassador to Russia, former Deputy Secretary of State, and author of Midnight in Moscow , a memoir of his experiences in Russia. Ambassador Sullivan joined host Andrew Kaufmann and the Bush Institute’s Natalie Gonnella-Platts to discuss what he witnessed ahead of Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine while he was stationed in Moscow, what he experienced as Putin’s army began its catastrophic war in the country, and how his time working as a diplomat in author...
Oct 10, 2024•50 min•Season 6Ep. 23
John Blake is not only the Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the 2023 world champion Texas Rangers, but he is also a docent at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum, where he has volunteered since the museum opened its doors in 2013. John joined host Andrew Kaufmann to talk about his deep-rooted love of presidential history, his feelings when the Texas Rangers finally took home a World Series trophy last year, and why he loves spending his Saturdays volunteering at the Bush Museum....
Sep 27, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 22
The North Korean regime is one of the most brutal on Earth. Executions, torture, and arbitrary detention are commonplace. Many lose their lives attempting to escape. For those who do make it out of the hermit kingdom, many difficulties remain. But how can we help the people of North Korea? The answer is that the issues on the Korean Peninsula won’t be easily solved. But many are working hard to help North Koreans. Ambassador Julie Turner, the U.S. Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issue...
Sep 20, 2024•35 min•Season 6Ep. 21
During Dr. Robert Roncska’s impressive 28-year career in the Navy, he commanded a nuclear-powered submarine, led the largest submarine squadron in the U.S. fleet, and even carried the nuclear football for President George W. Bush, who affectionately named him “Navy Bob.” Recently, he authored his debut book — Beyond the Sea: Leading with Love from the Nuclear Navy to the White House and Healthcare — in which he offers insights from his career and shares his own unique outlook, which blends milit...
Sep 06, 2024•32 min•Season 6Ep. 20
Cullum Clark serves as Director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative and is an Adjunct Professor of Economics at SMU. He leads the Bush Institute’s work on domestic economic policy and economic growth and recently released a report on how education and medical institutions can become more powerful drivers of prosperity in America’s cities. Cullum joined host Andrew Kaufmann for an engaging conversation about his report, the importance of economic growth in all areas of Dallas, th...
Aug 30, 2024•43 min•Season 6Ep. 19
Penelope Muse Abernathy is a visiting professor at Northwestern University and a former senior executive at The New York Times and Wall Street Journal. She specializes in researching local journalism and is the author of two books and five reports, including The State of Local News . She joined host Andrew Kaufmann and the Bush Institute’s Bill McKenzie to discuss news deserts, the importance of quality journalism, and why local reporting is essential to our democracy. Hear more from Penny on th...
Aug 13, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 18
