This week Radha, Loren, and Erin sit down to try and figure out just what the hell happened in 2018. Storm clouds gather as the ladies discuss what NatSec stories we missed - and what we’ll still be talking about in 10 years. But Radha brings the sunshine as we discuss the most important events for the military services in 2018 (which sadly has not resulted in any Space Marines). We wrap up with a review of the Administration’s secret villains and heroes and put a bow on it with movie plot lines that best capture 2018.  Links "," War on the Rocks Keith Bradsher and Ailin Tang, "," War on the Rocks Sophie Richardson, "." Washington Post Heidi Blake, Tom Warren, Richard Holmes, Jason Leopold, Jane Bradley, Alex Campbell, "," BuzzFeed News Alex Horton, "." Washington Post Gina Harkins, "," Military.com Lara Seligman, "," Foreign Policy Paul Scharre, "," Foreign Policy Michael C. Horowitz, "," Foreign Policy Zach Dorfman, "," Foreign Policy David E. Sanger, Nicole Perlroth, Glenn Thrush, Alan Rappeport, "," New York Times Emma Ashford and Trevor Thrall, "," War on the Rocks Katie Mettler, Callum Borchers, Nick Kirkpatrick, "'," Washington Post Walt Hickey and Gus Wezerek, "," FiveThirtyEight

This week Erin, Loren, and Radha read the G20 tea leaves, opine on continued chaos in Afghanistan, and remind you about all the White House mayhem from Saudi politics to a Moscow Trump Tower. Radha gets way too excited about USMCA (pronounced U-Smack-Ah) and all things trade before the ladies round some pop culture.   Keeping Up Foreign Relations Afghanistan Rahim Faiez, "," TIME John Bacon, "," USA Today Jessica Purkiss and Abigail Fielding-Smith, "," Just Security  Ukraine Andrew Higgins, "," New York Times Andrew Osborn, "," Reuters Alex Ward, "." Vox It's Aghast G20 "," BBC Krishanadev Calamur, "," Atlantic "," India Today USMCA Jen Kirby, "," Vox White House Mayhem Yemen  Jordan Tama, "." Washington Post Scott R. Anderson, "," Lawfare New START Joe Gould, "," Defense News L'Affaire Russe John McLaughlin,  Emma Loop, "," BuzzFeed News Anthony Cormier and Jason Leopold, "," BuzzFeed News Border Emily Kopp, "," Roll Call Government Shutdown Niv Elis, "," Hill Michael Collins, "," USA Today Pop Culture Orli Matlow, "!" Someecards Owen Gleiberman, ",'" Variety

Erin, Radha, and Loren invited Dr. Lindsay Cohn of the U.S. Naval War College to join their posse and explain America's history of employing the military for domestic purposes.  In Keeping Up Foreign Relations, UK Prime Minister Theresa May is still negotiating the terms of her break up with the EU, and new revelations on the tragic killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi are giving us a collective heart attack.  A new entrant to White House mayhem, First Lady Melania Trump, flexes her muscle to oust the fifth Deputy National Security Advisor of the Trump administration, and we assess the assessment of the National Defense Strategy commission.  Finally, come what may, we commit to developing a holiday shopping list for you festive needs this season.   UPCOMING EVENT: The American Public and the War on Terror  (Tue, 4 Dec, Kansas City) Border Deployment Alice Hunt Friend, "," Washington Post Lindsey P. Cohn, "," War on the Rocks Keeping up Foreign Relations Alex Hunt and Brian Wheeler, "," BBC Frank Langfitt, ".," NPR Jasmine Andersson, "," iNews John Cassidy, "," New Yorker Saudi Arabia Alex Ward, "." Vox Shane Harris, Greg Miller, and Josh Dawsey, "," Washington Post White House Mayhem Abigail Tracy, "'," Vanity Fair Aaron Mehta, "," Defense News Eric Edelman, et al., "," USIP Lara Seligman, "," Foreign Policy Pop Culture Roger Cormier, "!," Mental Floss Alan Sepinwall, "'," Rolling Stone Katy Waldman, "," New Yorker Ryan McPhee, "," Playbill

Loren, Erin, and Radha meet up in a special short episode to talk about the election aftermath. What will happen with the change in the house, who is on the Senate armed services committee, and what is oversight anyway?! Plus, a quick discussion on the defense budget and why data and statistics should be a year-round pastime!

This week Tamara Cofman Wittes joins the Bombshell ladies to discuss the fallout of the Khashoggi assassination and the future of US-Saudi relations. We get further bogged down in Afghanistan and try to understand the migrant caravan moving north from Central America. Then Radha tries to cheer us up by explaining the intricacies of the Universal Postal Union. For icing on the cake, we dive deep into the INF treaty and wonder if the Defense Department really being asked to cut its budget.   Saudi Emma Ashford, "," War on the Rocks Keeping up Foreign Relations Caravan Delphine Schrank, "," Reuters Afghanistan Dan Lamothe, "," Washington Post Thomas Ruttig, "," Afghanistan Analysts Network Ashley Jackson, "," Foreign Policy Matthieu Aikins, "," Harper's Maija Liuhto, "," LA Times It's Aghast  Jen Kirby, "," Vox Daniel W. Drezner, "," Washington Post White House Mayhem INF Treaty Amy F. Woolf, "," Congressional Research Service Jacob Heim, "," RAND Julian Borger and Martin Pengelly, "," Guardian Steven Pifer, "," Brookings Budget Aaron Mehta, "," Defense News Pop-Culture Caroline Hallemann, "," Town & Country "," PBS

This week, Loren, Radha, and Erin are reunited to discuss such cheery topics as political assassinations and sexual violence (albeit in the form of Nobel Prizes awarded to combat it). Radha dives deep on NAFTA 2.0, and we work our way through the crazy Chinese hacked hardware story. Rounding out White House Mayhem, John Bolton is back and joins the president and vice president in making blustery foreign policy speeches. And Erin demands answers on Banksy's newest prank.   New WOTR podcast: Melanie Marlowe, Bryan McGrath, and Christopher Preble, "," War on the Rocks   KUFR Nobel prize Emily Sullivan, "," NPR Saudi-Turkey "," BBC Karim Fahim, "," Washington Post Trade Heather Long, "." Washington Post Jacob M. Schlesinger and Josh Zumbrun, "," Wall Street Journal Phil Levy, "," Forbes Jeff Daniels, "," CNBC  Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley, "," Bloomberg James Cook, "," Telegraph Ian Bogost, "," Atlantic WH Mayhem Jane Perlez, ",'" New York Times Van Jackson, "" War on the Rocks  David M. Herszenhorn, "," Politico Lara Seligman, "," Foreign Policy Jarrett Blanc, "," Politico Pop-Culture Allison Quinn, "," Daily Beast

This week on bombshell Erin and Radha drink at Kori Schake's favorite bar in the world. Joined by Amelia Egghart, they discuss why climate change is still a thing and the (lack of) process in national security issues from Syria to Korea. They also remind us why you shouldn't start a land or trade war in Asia. And of course all the White House mayhem that's fit to print. Did we mention the guest was a chicken?   Venezuela China    Israel/Russia Climate

The Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC, hosted Loren and Radha this week for a live show. Lara Seligman of Foreign Policy and Valerie Insinna of Defense News joined the Bombshell crew to discuss defense journalism in the Trump administration, what it's like to cover a 17 year old war, and the most mayhem of mayhem weeks the White House has had in the last year. To listen to the audience Q&A for this episode, sign up for the War Hall at

Erin, Radha, and Loren head back to school from summer break, with smiling and shining faces. This week they catch up on some extensive Kabul mayhem, covering recent Taliban forays into Afghan-government controlled cities, the state of possible negotiations among both parties, and how this fits into new changes on command at ISAF and CENTCOM.  Revisiting a topic that's come up since the first episode of Bombshell, the ladies check in on U.S. support to the coalition campaign in Yemen and recent USG and Congressional frustrations with civilian casualties in the region - are we any closer to the end of our rope in enabling Saudi operations there or business as usual? And the enormous growth Chinese harassment of Uighurs in Xinjiang combined with the technological prowess of the Chinese surveillance state has a terrible alchemy that other autocratic states may find attractive. Radha continues her trade segment "It's Aghast" and talks through the current shenanigans with Mexico and Canada as well as a rapid rundown of our many trade tax tools! After some White House mayhem where it's clear that process is still our valentine we delight and quibble over the new Jack Ryan series.   Keeping up Foreign Relations Afghanistan  Yemen       China It's Aghast China tariffs NAFTA White House Mayhem Pop Culture

While the ladies of Bombshell will talk with just about anyone, should the U.S. government? Bombshell dives into President Trump's proclivity for theatrical political summits with adversaries, following up on current efforts in Afghanistan, North Korea, and Iran.  Radha introduces a new segment on trade: It's Aghast!  And the National Defense Authorization Act is a 2500 page gold mine of wonky policy fun.    Keeping up Foreign Relations North Korea "," BBC News Ellen Nakashima and Joby Warrick, "," Washington Post Uri Friedman, "," Atlantic Pakistan Elections Colin Cookman, "," War on the Rocks Alyssa Ayres, "," Council on Foreign Relations Afghanistan Strategy Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Helene Cooper, "," New York Times Spencer Ackerman, "," Daily Beast Idrees Ali, "," Reuters It's Aghast Jack Ewing, "," New York Times Shawn Donnan, "," Financial Times Doug Palmer, "," Politico White House Mayhem NDAA Mark Cancian, "," Breaking Defense Aaron Mehta and Joe Gould, "," Defense News Office of Management and Budget, "," Executive Office of the President Leo Shane III and Tara Copp, "," Military Times Tom Vanden Brook, "," USA Today Space Force Marcus Weisgerber, "," Defense One Paul Scharre, "," Defense One