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What Just Happened Series: Understanding Federal Employee Rights
In his second term in office, President Donald Trump has already taken sweeping measures on immigration, the environment, the U.S. military, and the structure of the federal government.With so many executive orders, policy changes, and novel actions, it’s easy to wonder, “What just happened?” In this podcast mini-series we help to answer exactly that question. On each episode of “What Just Happened,” we’ll talk with leading experts, from former government officials to practitioners and professors – the people who understand how government works from the inside and have been engaged with these issues for years. They will explain the legal background and implications of how the Trump administration’s actions affect how the U.S. government operates in Washington, across the country, and around the world.As always, this is not a political podcast – we are explaining the meaning and consequences of policy changes that may not be immediately apparent. Any opinions expressed are those of the speaker.Today, we will focus on the federal civil service. What are the different types of civil servants, what protections do they have, what remedies are available to them, and what comes next for those Americans who have dedicated their careers to public service.Our guest is Suzanne Summerlin. Suzanne is a labor and employment attorney specializing in federal workforce issues. She has extensive experience in litigation, union advocacy, and federal labor policy. Among other jobs, Suzanne was previously an attorney for the National Federation of Federal Employees. This podcast does not contain legal advice. If you need legal assistance, you should contact an attorney. Show Notes: David Aaron (LinkedIn – X)Tess Bridgeman (LinkedIn – BlueSky – X)Ryan Goodman (Bluesky – LinkedIn) Suzanne Summerlin (LinkedIn)Suzanne’s Just Security articles “Beware the ‘Deferred Resignation’ Offer: A Legally Dubious Proposal for Federal Employees” and “Federal Employee Rights: What Probationary Employees Need to Know” Just Security’s coverage of the Trump administration’s executive actions Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)
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Key Takeaways from the Paris AI Action Summit
The Artificial Intelligence Action Summit recently concluded in Paris, France, drawing world leaders including U.S. Vice President JD Vance. The Summit led to a declaration on “inclusive and sustainable” artificial intelligence, which the United States and United Kingdom have refused to join, though 60 other nations, including China and India support the declaration. What are the key takeaways from the Summit? How might it shape other global efforts to regulate artificial intelligence? Joining the show to discuss the Summit is Dr. Brianna Rosen, Director of Just Security’s AI and Emerging Technologies Initiative and Senior Research Associate at the University of Oxford. Show Notes:Brianna Rosen (LinkedIn – X – Bluesky)Paras Shah (LinkedIn – X)Just Security’s Artificial Intelligence coverageJust Security’s Tech Policy under Trump 2.0 SeriesMusic: “Parisian Dream” by Albert Behar from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/albert-behar/parisian-dream (License code: RXLDKOXCM02WX2LL)
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Repression of Lawyers in Belarus and Around the World
Around the world, lawyers – particularly those representing human rights defenders, political prisoners, and upholding the rule of law – face threats of disbarment, harassment, and prosecution simply for doing their jobs. Jan. 24 marked International Day of the Endangered Lawyer, which focused on Belarus this year. The Belarusian government has developed a toolkit of repression to silence members of the legal profession, with hundreds of lawyers facing disbarment or exile, and at least six sitting in jail based on dubious or politically-motivated charges. What tactics is the Belarusian government using? How can the international community best respond to support the legal profession and the rule of law? Joining the show to discuss the situation in Belarus are Nils Muiznieks, Maksim Polovinko, and Margaret Satterthwaite. Nils is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus. He is a political scientist and human rights expert based in Latvia. Maksim is an expert of the Right to Defense project, until 2020, he was Editor-in-Chief of the magazine Jurist, and an event organizer for the Belarussian legal community. Margaret is a Professor of Clinical Law at NYU Law and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Show Notes: Nils Muižnieks (LinkedIn) Maksim PolovinkoMargaret Satterthwaite (LinkedIn – X) Paras Shah (LinkedIn – X)Nils and Margaret’s Just Security article with Aloysia Sonnet (LinkedIn) “Solidarity Needed Amid Stranglehold on Belarusian Lawyers”Just Security’s Belarus coverageJust Security’s Rule of Law coverageMusic: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)
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‘The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century’ Book Talk
In the first quarter of the 21st century, U.S. presidential power has reached new heights in both domestic policy and foreign affairs. While the framers created a system of government defined by the separation of powers, the presidencies of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump reveal a vision, and a version, of unilateral executive power. What are some reforms that could restore the balance? Harold Hongju Koh has studied presidential power for decades both as a professor and the former Dean of Yale Law School, and in various government roles, including as the Legal Adviser at the U.S. State Department. His new book, The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century, argues for structural reforms to realign the balance of power among Congress, the courts, and the president. Harold joined us to discuss the book and Just Security’s recent symposium featuring expert analysis and discussion on some of its key ideas. This episode was co-hosted by Just Security’s Co-Editor-in-Chief, Tess Bridgeman. Show Notes: Tess Bridgeman (LinkedIn – BlueSky – X)Harold Hongju Koh (LinkedIn – X) Paras Shah (LinkedIn – X)Just Security’s symposium on Harold’s book The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century (Yale University Press)Music: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)
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Diving Deeper into DeepSeek
The tech industry is calling this AI’s “Sputnik Moment” – and President Donald Trump has said it’s a “wake-up call” for U.S. companies. We’re talking about DeepSeek, the Chinese AI startup that has rapidly emerged as a formidable contender in the global AI race.DeepSeek is making waves for developing powerful open-source language models that rival leading U.S. competitors – at a fraction of the cost and with far lower computational requirements.The DeepSeek saga raises urgent questions about China’s AI ambitions, the future of U.S. technological leadership, and the strategic implications of open-source AI models. How did DeepSeek get here? What does its rise mean for competition between China and the United States? And how should U.S. policymakers respond?Today, we’re going beyond the headlines to dive deeper into DeepSeek. We’ll explore popular myths and misconceptions surrounding DeepSeek, the technology behind it, and what it means for national security and U.S. policy going forward. Joining the show to unpack these developments are leading experts in the field: Dr. Keegan McBride, Lauren Wagner, and Lennart HeimKeegan is a Lecturer at the University of Oxford and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security. Lauren is a researcher and investor, now with ARC Prize, previously worked at Meta and Google. And Lennart is a researcher at RAND and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School.This episode was hosted by Dr. Brianna Rosen, Director of Just Security’s AI and Emerging Technologies Initiative and Senior Research Associate at the University of Oxford. Show Notes: Lennart Heim (LinkedIn – Website – X) Keegan McBride (LinkedIn – X)Brianna Rosen (LinkedIn – X – Bluesky)Lauren Wagner (LinkedIn — X)Lennart’s Just Security article with Konstantin F. Pilz (Bluesky – LinkedIn – Website – X) “What DeepSeek Really Changes About AI Competition”Keegan’s Just Security article “Open Source AI: The Overlooked National Security Imperative” Just Security’s Artificial Intelligence coverageJust Security’s Tech Policy under Trump 2.0 SeriesMusic: “Broken” by David Bullard from Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/david-bullard/broken (License code: OSC7K3LCPSGXISVI)
Just Security is an online forum for the rigorous analysis of national security, foreign policy, and rights. We aim to promote principled solutions to problems confronting decision-makers in the United States and abroad. Our expert authors are individuals with significant government experience, academics, civil society practitioners, individuals directly affected by national security policies, and other leading voices.
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