In this episode of The President's Daily Brief, Mike Baker reflects on the top six foreign policy and national security stories that defined 2024. From seismic geopolitical shifts to underreported events with massive ripple effects, Mike counts down the stories that not only captured headlines but reshaped the world. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The Pre...
Dec 26, 2024•21 min•Ep 684•Transcript available on Metacast A quick holiday message from the PDB's Mike Baker. PDB will resume normal episode releases on Thursday the 26th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 24, 2024•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, we’ll begin with Israel, as Mossad agents spill the beans about how they managed to infiltrate Hezbollah’s operations and convince the terror group to buy explosive-laced pagers and walkie-talkies that would ultimately cripple the once powerful terror army. Then, Syria’s new de facto leader is attempting to reassure the country’s ethnic and religious minorities that they will be protected under the new Islamist regime, promising an end to the...
Dec 23, 2024•13 min•Ep 683•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A tragedy in Germany as a driver plows into a crowded Christmas market, leaving five dead and over 200 injured. Authorities are investigating the suspect’s motives as the nation mourns. A case of friendly fire over the Red Sea, where two U.S. Navy pilots were forced to eject after their jet was struck by fire from a U.S. warship. An update on Gaza ceasefire negotiations, where Palestinian officials report progress but note that key sticking points ...
Dec 23, 2024•18 min•Ep 682•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of the PDB Situation Report: We begin in Israel, where a potential breakthrough could be close—a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Jonathan Schanzer, Executive Director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, provides the latest updates. Later in the program, we review the war in Ukraine as it enters its third year. Open Source Intelligence Analyst Ryan McBeth examines the major events of 2024 and previews what 2025 might hold. To listen to the show a...
Dec 21, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, an update from Syria, where the U.S. has managed to take out the top leader of ISIS in a precision strike, as U.S. diplomats travel to Damascus for their first in-person meeting with Syria’s rebel leaders. Then, Vladimir Putin has floated an insane plan to have an experimental "missile duel" with the west in Ukraine, prompting Volodymyr Zelensky to call the Russian leader a "dumbass." To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of ...
Dec 20, 2024•15 min•Ep 681•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We'll begin with an update on the war in Ukraine, as Russian President Vladimir Putin claims he is ready to strike a compromise with Donald Trump to end the conflict. Later in the show, Israel is setting their sights on Iran’s last remaining proxy group of note in the Middle East, warning Yemen’s Houthi rebels that the long arm of Israel will soon come for them. Plus, military bases near Chinese-owned farmland have been caught up in the mystery dro...
Dec 20, 2024•23 min•Ep 680•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, we’ll bring you some truly horrifying discoveries from Syria, where mass graves uncovered since the overthrow of the Assad regime are exposing some of the worst war crimes and human rights abuses since the Nazis. Then, an update on the war in Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky warns the west that Kyiv does not currently have the military strength to retake their captured territory from Russia. To listen to the show ad-free, become a pre...
Dec 19, 2024•12 min•Ep 679•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President’s Daily Brief: Fallout from Assad’s collapse in Syria has reportedly upended the Middle East’s most profitable drug empire, revealing the massive trade that fueled war and social crises across the region. U.S. officials sound the alarm over a ticking time bomb in Syria: thousands of ISIS fighters still held in makeshift prisons, a security nightmare waiting to unfold. A violent gang crackdown in Colorado—police bust a kidnapping and torture plot at an apartment c...
Dec 19, 2024•22 min•Ep 678•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, the leader of the rebel opposition that overthrew Syria’s Assad regime has announced plans to disband their militant militias and form a new national army, as they work to consolidate their power and distance themselves from their radical past. Then, the U.S. Justice Department has charged two Iranian nationals in connection with a fatal drone strike in Jordan earlier this year that killed three U.S. service members and injured dozens. To lis...
Dec 18, 2024•11 min•Ep 677•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Turkey's military buildup along the Syrian border is raising alarms. Ankara's moves signal a potential large-scale incursion into northern Syria—one that could lead to conflict with U.S.-backed Syrian Kurdish forces. Promising developments in ceasefire talks for Gaza, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Cairo for what’s being described as the final stage of negotiations. The U.S. Treasury imposes new sanctions on North Korea and R...
Dec 18, 2024•22 min•Ep 676•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: We begin in Syria, where the Russian military appears to be conducting a large-scale withdrawal, ending over a week of speculation about whether they would stay or leave. Then, we’ll turn to Russia, where Ukraine's security service is claiming responsibility for the high-profile assassination of a Russian general in the heart of Moscow. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. ...
Dec 17, 2024•12 min•Ep 675•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We begin with a strange story out of Syria, where CNN is facing scrutiny for showing the rescue of a man now alleged to be a member of Assad’s military—and possibly a torturer. A troubling report from China reveals that the People’s Liberation Army has released an electronic warfare “kill list” targeting U.S. naval assets. On the Ukraine-Russia war front, Ukraine and the Pentagon report the first combat deaths of North Korean soldiers fighting alon...
Dec 17, 2024•21 min•Ep 674•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has broken his silence from exile in Moscow, issuing his first public statement on the Islamist rebel uprising that toppled his family’s dictatorship after 50 years ruling over Syria. Then, an update on the unidentified drones that have baffled officials across the tri-state region, as federal authorities announce plans to deploy a state-of-the-art radar detection system in New York to solve the myster...
Dec 16, 2024•14 min•Ep 673•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Why the Iranian regime may be the next to collapse as its key ally Hezbollah faces devastating leadership losses and Assad’s fall leaves Tehran’s influence in jeopardy. New satellite images reveal Iran’s so-called "drone motherships"—and thankfully, they’re far from the East Coast. Political chaos in South Korea as the parliament votes to impeach the defiant president after his failed martial law stunt. And in today’s Back of the Brief, the latest ...
Dec 16, 2024•25 min•Ep 672•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: We're starting in Syria, where the fall of Bashar al-Assad has dramatically shifted power dynamics in the Middle East. We'll discuss what this means for the region with Brian Carter from the American Enterprise Institute. Plus, China's latest military exercises around Taiwan are among the largest in decades, with nearly 100 vessels mobilized. Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Steve Yates, joins us to break down the implications. To li...
Dec 14, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering preemptive airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program when he returns to office in January, as part of a "maximum pressure 2.0" campaign designed to bring the Islamic regime to its knees. Then, we’ll take you inside Bashar al-Assad’s final days in Syria, as reports emerge that the former strongman abandoned his loyalists and deceived those closest to him in order to flee to Russia under the cov...
Dec 13, 2024•13 min•Ep 671•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We'll begin with an update on the war in Gaza, as Hamas reportedly yields to two of Israel’s key demands for a ceasefire, reigniting hopes that a deal can be struck to pause the fighting and rescue the remaining hostages before the year ends. Later in the show, president-elect Donald Trump has begun to outline his plans for bringing the war in Ukraine to an end, advocating a strategy that would see Europe shoulder most of the financial and military...
Dec 13, 2024•23 min•Ep 670•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the Biden administration has issued a final national security memorandum warning of the stark dangers posed by China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, who they dubbed as the new, quote, "axis of upheaval." Then, an update on the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, as we learn the accused shooter, Luigi Mangione, intends to plead not guilty despite a mounting pile of e...
Dec 12, 2024•13 min•Ep 639•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: We'll begin with a look at the fate of Russia's military bases in Syria. With Bashar al-Assad's regime toppled, questions are swirling around the future of the Kremlin's foothold in the Middle East, including critical naval and air bases. A new report from The New York Times reveals that under President Biden, the United States has experienced the largest net migration in its history—averaging 2.4 million people per year during his administration. ...
Dec 12, 2024•21 min•Ep 638•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, we begin with a mystery in the skies of New Jersey, where frustration is mounting among local officials regarding a deluge of drone sightings across the Garden State that have spooked residents and flummoxed federal agencies. One Congressman claims the mystery drones are of Iranian origin. Then, for the first time in 50 years, Israel has deployed ground troops into Syria beyond a demilitarized buffer zone in an attempt to protect their border...
Dec 11, 2024•13 min•Ep 637•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Syria forms a new interim government under the relatively unknown Mohammed al-Bashir as Israel dismantles Assad's remaining war machine. UNRWA faces new scrutiny as documents reveal Hamas fighters among its top school administrators. Russia reportedly provides fighter jets to North Korea in exchange for thousands of troops, strengthening their alliance. And in today's Back of the Brief: The suspect in the murder of United Healthcare's CEO is extrad...
Dec 11, 2024•21 min•Ep 636•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, with the fall of the Assad regime, there is one major question on the minds of America’s top national security officials: do Syria’s rebels still deserve their international terrorist designation? Then, in the latest escalation from the South China Sea, the Chinese military has staged their largest show of force in decades in the waters around Taiwan. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by vis...
Dec 10, 2024•15 min•Ep 635•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: New evidence from Syria exposes the horrifying depths of former President Bashar al-Assad's brutality as prisoners emerge from dungeons described as "human slaughterhouses." Millions of Syrian refugees celebrate the collapse of Assad's regime, but European nations are freezing asylum applications, suggesting it may be time for many to return home. An update from South Korea, where the nation's president has been barred from traveling abroad after a...
Dec 10, 2024•22 min•Ep 634•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, Israel and the U.S. have unleashed airstrikes across Syria in the wake of the fall of the Assad regime on Sunday, targeting terrorist organizations and critical weapons infrastructure at risk of falling into rebel hands. Then, an update on the violence in Haiti, where 184 people were killed in a brutal massacre over the weekend by a gang leader acting on the advice of a voodoo priest. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of ...
Dec 09, 2024•12 min•Ep 633•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A historic day in the Middle East as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime falls to rebel forces, ending over 50 years of Assad-family rule. Governments worldwide react with a mix of hope and apprehension to this seismic shift. Ukrainian President Zelensky reveals the military death toll for Ukraine’s forces in the Russian invasion, as the U.S. prepares another billion-dollar aid package for the embattled nation. And in today’s Back of the Brie...
Dec 09, 2024•24 min•Ep 632•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: The Assad regime in Syria faces a growing challenge as rebel forces push southward. Brian Carter from the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute joins us to analyze the latest developments. Iranian hackers escalate their cyberattacks, reportedly breaching high-profile targets, including the president-elect's FBI nominee, Kash Patel. Former FBI counterintelligence operative Eric O’Neill shares insights into what this means for na...
Dec 07, 2024•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: We’ll begin in Syria, where the leader of the Islamic rebel insurgents has spoken publicly for the first time, vowing to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad and push out Iranian and Russian interests as his fighters inch closer to Damascus. Then, we’ll look at the renewed threat Islamic terrorism poses to Europe, as intelligence authorities in Germany thwart an Islamic State inspired “lone wolf” terrorist attack targeting a popular Christmas mar...
Dec 07, 2024•14 min•Ep 631•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: First, senior members of the incoming Trump administration have begun holding high level talks with leaders from Kyiv, seeking to narrow large differences in their visions for how to bring the war in Ukraine to a close ahead of Trump’s return to the White House in January. Later in the show, Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants have declared their intention to fight against rebel insurgents in Syria on behalf of the Assad regime, as Israel warns that...
Dec 06, 2024•21 min•Ep 630•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, rebel insurgents in Syria are on the move, capturing another key city from the Syrian army in their quest to overthrow the regime of Bashar al-Assad. We’ll discuss the latest developments, and spotlight the shadowy former al-Qaida operative leading the bloody revolt. Then, an update on the war in Gaza, as Israel submits a new ceasefire proposal to Hamas that could bring about a 60 day truce and see the return of the remaining living hostages ...
Dec 06, 2024•12 min•Ep 629•Transcript available on Metacast 
