In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin : New reporting sheds light on one of the biggest unanswered questions after Nicolás Maduro’s ouster: why the Trump administration has chosen not to back Venezuela’s opposition leader, despite expectations of a democratic handoff. Israeli defense sources warn that Iran may be plotting to assassinate Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, as quiet contacts begin to open between Israel and Damascus—raising fears of a deliberate attempt to sabotage a poten...
Jan 06, 2026•16 min•Season 2Ep. 1205
In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief : Venezuela’s new leader Delcy Rodríguez abruptly softens her tone following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, signaling possible cooperation with Washington—but her past record and the power structures still in place raise doubts about whether a real political transition is underway. Alarm bells ring across the Baltics after a sixth undersea cable outage in less than a week, as authorities investigate suspected sabotage and Western allies warn the pat...
Jan 06, 2026•23 min•Season 2Ep. 1204
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First up— stunning new reporting suggests Ali Khamenei is already planning an escape route out of Iran as nationwide protests enter their ninth straight day—an extraordinary signal of growing concern at the very top of the regime. Later in the show— a major shakeup at the highest levels of power in Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky taps military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov to run his presidential office, prioritizing battlefield experie...
Jan 05, 2026•14 min•Season 2Ep. 1203
In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: First up—remarkable new details are emerging about the operation that captured Nicolás Maduro. Covert CIA teams tracked his movements for months, while Delta Force rehearsed the raid on a full-scale replica of his safe house—leaving nothing to chance. Later in the show—things are just getting started for the deposed dictator, as newly unsealed federal charges lay out allegations of narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking, and weapons offenses tied to ...
Jan 05, 2026•25 min•Season 2Ep. 1202
In this Special Edition of The President’s Daily Brief : The world wakes up to stunning news as the United States captures Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro following a sweeping U.S. military operation deep inside Caracas. We break down Operation Absolute Resolve, including how U.S. intelligence tracked Maduro for months, the scale of the air campaign, and the special forces raid that led to his capture. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by v...
Jan 04, 2026•14 min
In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: Anger spills into the streets of Tehran as nationwide protests turn deadly, transforming economic despair into open defiance of Iran’s clerical regime. Shirin Nariman, a human rights advocate and former political prisoner in Iran, joins us to share her personal story and provide insight into the situation on the ground. Israel closes out a turbulent 2025, marked by war in Gaza and open conflict with Iran, with major questions looming about what comes ...
Jan 03, 2026•1 hr 2 min
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Protests in Iran turn deadly as security forces open fire on demonstrators, escalating an already volatile situation and prompting a sharp warning from President Donald Trump. A surprising U.S. domestic story with global implications, as a New York Times investigation reveals how Oklahoma’s marijuana boom led to hidden ownership networks stretching from rural farms to New York—and unexpected ties to China. To listen to the show ad-free, become a pr...
Jan 02, 2026•16 min•Season 2Ep. 2001
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—new reporting from The New York Times pulls back the curtain on Russia’s war machine, revealing a system built on abuse, coercion, and the ruthless exploitation of its own soldiers fighting in Ukraine. Later in the show—fresh warning signs from Beijing, as Xi Jinping uses his New Year’s speech to double down on Taiwan, declaring reunification inevitable after a round of large-scale Chinese military exercises. Plus—new details from Presiden...
Jan 02, 2026•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1200
In this special New Year’s Eve edition of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin Mike Baker looks back at the stories from 2025 that didn’t quite make it into the President’s Daily Brief — not because they weren’t real, but because they didn’t fit the daily intelligence picture. From a drunken raccoon with a rap sheet in Virginia, to a Christmas brawl on Nantucket that left police reports looking more like classified documents, to Florida man staying firmly on brand, and a “masked intruder” in New York who ...
Dec 31, 2025•17 min•Season 2Ep. 1199
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First up—new details emerge on a covert United States strike inside Venezuela, as reporting reveals the Central Intelligence Agency carried out a drone attack on a port facility, signaling a sharp escalation in pressure on the Maduro regime. Later in the show—new reporting from The Washington Post shows how Russia’s war in Ukraine is taking a growing toll at home, with social strain and public disillusionment becoming harder to hide. Plus—Saudi Ara...
Dec 31, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1198
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Pressure is building inside Iran, where a collapsing economy has driven protesters into the streets, merchants have shut down key markets, and security forces are struggling to contain growing unrest that is turning increasingly political. Later in the show—North Korea unveils what it claims is its first nuclear-powered submarine, a massive vessel comparable in size to some United States Navy attack subs, raising new questions about Pyongyang’s unde...
Dec 30, 2025•15 min•Season 2Ep. 1197
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: China encircles Taiwan with the largest military exercises in its history, deploying warships and fighter jets in a move that blurs the line between training and real-world preparation. Russia claims Vladimir Putin was targeted by a Ukrainian strike, with Moscow hinting at tougher negotiating positions while Ukraine flatly denies the accusation. Donald Trump meets with Benjamin Netanyahu in Florida, pressing for progress on a stalled Gaza ceasefire...
Dec 30, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1196
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: President Trump announces that U.S. forces carried out a strike inside Venezuela, targeting what he described as a major drug-related facility. With few confirmed details publicly available, we break down what we know so far—and the key questions that remain unanswered. President Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, striking an optimistic tone as negotiations aimed at ending Russia’s war continue, telling reporters the sides “hav...
Dec 29, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 1195
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: China and Russia appear closer than ever—but the relationship is far from equal. We’ll break down how Beijing is exploiting Russia’s growing dependence as the war in Ukraine drags on, turning Moscow’s isolation into long-term leverage for China. Christmas Day airstrikes in Nigeria. The U.S. hits Islamic State targets hard, as President Trump signals there is a limit to how long the slaughter of Christians will be tolerated. Israel announces it has ...
Dec 29, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1194
In this episode of The PPDB Situation Report: We begin in Ukraine, where another brutal year of war has upended long-held assumptions on both sides of the battlefield. What’s changed, what hasn’t, and what it tells us about where the conflict is heading next. Joining us to break it all down is George Barros from the Institute for the Study of War. Later in the show, we shift our focus to the Far East, where strategic competition continues to intensify across the region—from Beijing’s long-term a...
Dec 27, 2025•1 hr 5 min
In this special edition of the PDB Afternoon Bulletin--We take a step back from the daily headlines to explore one of the strangest political fault lines in modern China: Xi Jinping’s war on the game of golf. We explain how golf became associated with corruption, elite privilege, and unwanted Western influence inside the Chinese Communist Party—and why Party officials learned to treat it as politically radioactive. We trace the story from Mao Zedong’s condemnation of the sport, through China’s u...
Dec 26, 2025•18 min•Season 2Ep. 1193
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Cuba teeters on the edge of collapse, as a U.S. oil blockade targeting Venezuela cuts off critical fuel supplies to the island, triggering widespread blackouts, shortages, and a growing wave of Cubans fleeing the country. I’ll have the details. The Trump administration orders nearly thirty U.S. ambassadors home, creating major gaps in the diplomatic corps—even as the White House pushes an aggressive diplomacy-first approach abroad. Instability grow...
Dec 26, 2025•23 min•Season 2Ep. 1193
In this Christmas message, Mike Baker pauses the usual news rundown to share a few thoughts on Christmas thanks. Thank you for listening, supporting, and being part of The President’s Daily Brief. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 24, 2025•4 min•Season 2Ep. 1192
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Rare cracks appear in the Kremlin’s façade as frustration over poverty, inflation, and the war in Ukraine spills into Vladimir Putin’s tightly controlled year-end “Direct Line” address—offering an unusual glimpse of domestic pressure inside Russia. Later in the show—Western intelligence agencies warn that Moscow may be developing a new anti-satellite weapon aimed at Starlink, the space-based communications system that has become critical to Ukraine’...
Dec 23, 2025•15 min•Season 2Ep. 1191
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Alarming new intelligence from the Pentagon suggests China is rapidly filling newly constructed missile silos with intercontinental ballistic missiles, signaling a nuclear buildup moving faster than analysts expected and raising fresh concerns about Beijing’s long-term intentions. Ukraine takes the fight deep inside Russia, striking energy infrastructure, aircraft, and naval targets in a coordinated wave of attacks aimed at disrupting Moscow’s war ...
Dec 23, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 1190
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: New reporting reveals that Israel is weighing another round of military strikes against Iran, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preparing to brief Donald Trump on potential options as concerns grow over Tehran’s missile activity. Later in the show—Russia’s war comes home again, as a senior Russian general is killed in a car bombing in Moscow, the third high-ranking military leader to be taken out this year. To listen to the show ad-free, become...
Dec 22, 2025•13 min•Season 2Ep. 1189
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A major U.S. military response in Syria, as American and coalition forces unleash one of the largest strikes on ISIS in years. We break down how the operation unfolded, what was targeted, and what it signals about the fight ahead. Pressure ramps up on Venezuela, with U.S. forces boarding yet another oil tanker in the Caribbean as President Trump’s maritime blockade tightens. Some good news for Ukraine, as European Union leaders approve a massive ni...
Dec 22, 2025•25 min•Season 2Ep. 1188
In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: Federal authorities stop a coordinated New Year’s Eve terror plot, arresting multiple suspects accused of planning bombing attacks in and around Los Angeles. Former FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative Eric O’Neill joins us to break down how the plot was disrupted and what it reveals about the threat landscape. The Gaza ceasefire holds for now, even as Israel targets senior Hamas leadership. Ben Cohen from the Foundation for Defense ...
Dec 20, 2025•1 hr
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin : First—a major expansion of Ukraine's campaign against Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers. For the first time in the war, Ukraine has struck a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, delivering another significant blow to Moscow's energy revenues and their clandestine global shipping network. Later in the show—The manhunt for the Brown University shooter has come to an end. The suspect, who is now also linked to the murder of an MIT professor, ha...
Dec 19, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 1187
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Moscow deploys its newest nuclear-capable missile system to Belarus, placing a powerful new class of weapons on NATO’s doorstep and forcing the alliance to reassess its defensive posture. Beijing lashes out after Washington approves a massive arms package for Taiwan worth more than ten billion dollars, including missiles, drones, and heavy artillery. New reporting claims President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quietly planned ...
Dec 19, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1186
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Tensions are climbing in the Caribbean as Venezuela orders its navy to escort oil tankers in response to the U.S. blockade, raising the risk of a direct showdown with American warships and pushing both sides further up the escalation ladder. The U.S. designates Colombia’s Clan del Golfo cartel as a terrorist organization, a major shift that could open the door to expanded military and counterterror operations against one of the region’s most violent...
Dec 18, 2025•14 min•Season 2Ep. 1185
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A troubling congressional report reveals Beijing may be quietly tapping into American taxpayer-funded research programs, potentially funneling sensitive nuclear technology to the Chinese military. European leaders discuss a possible multinational force following a ceasefire, as Germany’s chancellor suggests Western troops could be authorized to push back Russian forces if necessary. An MIT professor is killed in his Massachusetts home, and Israeli ...
Dec 18, 2025•26 min•Season 2Ep. 1184
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: President Trump orders a U.S. naval blockade targeting sanctioned oil tankers tied to Venezuela, sharply escalating pressure on the Maduro regime. We break down what this move actually means, how it would be enforced, and why it could strike at the economic lifeblood of Caracas. New details emerge from Australia following the deadly terror attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Authorities now confirm the attackers were inspired by ISIS and may have recei...
Dec 17, 2025•15 min•Season 2Ep. 1183
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: New reporting reveals senior defense officials are preparing a major reorganization that would downgrade key military headquarters and redraw the balance of power among America’s top generals, signaling a broader rethink of how the U.S. military is led and deployed around the world. Just as we predicted, Vladimir Putin is once again digging in, rejecting any compromise on occupied Ukrainian territory as diplomatic efforts stall and Moscow reinforce...
Dec 17, 2025•25 min•Season 2Ep. 1182
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: U.S. commandos carry out a rare and highly sensitive operation at sea, quietly boarding a cargo ship in the Indian Ocean and seizing a shipment bound for Iran from China. We explain what was taken, why the mission stayed out of the spotlight, and how it fits into efforts to disrupt Iran’s missile rebuilding efforts. Plus—Washington escalates its campaign against narco-terror organizations in the eastern Pacific. The U.S. military says new strikes on...
Dec 16, 2025•13 min•Season 2Ep. 1181
