Paul Scharre, Executive Vice President and Director of Studies at Center for a New American Security, joins ACME General Corp to talk about his recent trip to Ukraine and his observations of and predictions for autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence. In addition to his work at CNAS, Paul is the award-winning author of Army of None: Autonomo…

Craig Cummings, co-founder of Moonshots Capital, joins ACME General Corp to talk about investing in tech start-ups founded by military veteran entrepreneurs. In addition to his work at Moonshots Capital, Craig is the Director of Military and Veteran Affairs for Capital Factory, Austin’s center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas. Previously, Crai…

Lt. Gen. Clint Hinote, former Deputy Chief of Staff for Air Force Futures, joins ACME General Corp to talk about representing the voice of tomorrow’s Airmen. He most recently served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Strategy, Integration, and Requirements at Air Force Futures, where he focused on integrated future force design and speaking on behalf of…

Joseph Kopser, technology entrepreneur and president of consulting firm Grayline Group, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about disruptive change, technology innovation, and the national security implications of adapting to that innovation. Joseph is a US Army combat veteran with 20 years of service who went on to co-found a company that later sold …

Sue Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about national security, cybersecurity threats, and what intelligence information holds the most value. Sue served as Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence and Deputy Director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency after havi…

Capt. Ben Van Buskirk, former director of NavalX, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about bringing an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit to naval technology research. Before leading NavalX, Capt. Van Buskirk helped establish the Strategic Warfighting Innovation Cell within the Navy’s Warfighting Development Directorate. Find him on Twitter at @Be…

Jay Wisham, outgoing executive director of the Army Applications Lab, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about using the best commercial technology and talent to transform innovative tech into Army-ready solutions. Prior to joining AAL, Jay was a Senior Army Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, a Lead for Artificial Intelligence Applications …

Frank Finelli, managing director at the Carlyle Group, and Sam Cole, principal and co-founder of Stonecutter Ventures, both join ACME General Corp. to talk about the potential of capital markets to drive defense innovation. Frank Finelli focuses on investments in the defense and aerospace sector at the Carlyle Group. Learn more here and find the Ca…

Chris Albinson, CEO and president of Communitech, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about defense innovation in Canada and why Toronto might soon be the new Silicon Valley. Communitech helps tech companies in Canada start and scale, supporting founders with talent, capital, markets, and community. Before his role at Communitech, Chris was one of the…

ACME General Corp. revisits the past three Accelerate Defense interviews, all focused on the role of innovation in addressing strategic challenges faced by the US Navy. Captain Michael Brasseur (@brasseur_mdb) is the co-founder and current Commodore of Task Force 59. Logan Jones is the general manager and president of SparkCognition Government Syst…

Bilal Zuberi, general partner at Lux Capital, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about investing in innovative technologies across industries to address some of the world’s most complicated problems. Bilal has led Lux’s investments in companies like Saildrone, Evolv, Applied Intuition, Ironclad, and more. He also cofounded GEO2 Technologies and serve…

Logan Jones, general manager and president of SparkCognition Government Systems, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about ethics, dual use, and artificial intelligence in the public sector. Before leading SparkCognition Government Systems, Logan was Vice President and founding member of Boeing HorizonX, the largest aerospace venture fund and innovati…

Captain Michael Brasseur, co-founder and current Commodore of Task Force 59, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about integrating unmanned systems and artificial intelligence. Before leading Task Force 59, Capt. Brasseur was the Director for Naval Armaments Cooperation at NATO and the first Director of NATO’s Maritime Unmanned Systems Innovation & Co…

Chris Lynch, CEO and co-founder of Rebellion Defense, joins host Ken Harbaugh to talk about his “SWAT team of nerds” and building AI tools for national defense. Before leading the team at Rebellion Defense, Chris was founding director at Defense Digital Service and launched programs like JEDI Cloud and Hack the Pentagon. Learn more about Chris and …

Investor and Venrock partner Nick Beim joins ACME General Corp. to talk about Rebellion Defense and building mission-focused artificial intelligence products for the defense industry. Nick is a partner at Venrock and one of the lead investors in Rebellion Defense. Follow him on Twitter at @NickBeim and find Venrock at @Venrock and Rebellion at @Reb…

Lieutenant General Mike Groen joins ACME General Corp. to talk about leading the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and the potential of AI to transform the Department of Defense. LtGen Groen is the commander of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), as well as a distinguished Marine Corps officer and veteran of multiple combat deployme…

Former NASA Administrator and retired Marine Corps Major General Charles Bolden Jr. joins hACME General Corp. to talk about his career, the growing commercial space industry, and how the new space economy intersects with national security concerns. Major General Bolden is also the founder and CEO Emeritus of The Charles F. Bolden Group, a consortiu…

Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin joins ACME General Corp. to talk about the Defense Critical Supply Chain Task Force and why supply chains are so critical to our national defense. Rep. Slotkin is the congresswoman from Michigan’s 8th district and, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, she chaired the bi-partisan Defense Critical Supply Cha…

Dr. Melissa Flagg joins ACME General Corp. to talk about R&D in the United States and efficiency in the Department of Defense - plus, why she finds optimism in science and history. Dr. Flagg is a senior fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology and has served in a number of roles within the Department of Defense, most recen…

In this episode about startup innovation, Daeil Kim from AI.Reverie and Daniela Perdomo from goTenna join ACME General Corp. for a conversation about partnering with the Department of Defense as a startup. Daeil Kim is the founder and CEO of AI.Reverie, a simulation platform that trains artificial intelligence to understand the world. Find Daeil on…

Chris talked Sohrab Ahmari about his new book The Unbroken Thread. They discuss how Sohrab became a Roman Catholic, how having a son made more acutely aware of his responsibilities to his posterity, the problems of liberalism, and the kind of America he'd like to see.By Chris Buskirk

Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill joins ACME General Corp. to talk about representing Picatinny Arsenal in Congress and serving on the House Armed Services and Science, Space, and Technology Committees. Rep. Sherrill is a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor and current representative for New Jersey’s 11th district. Learn more about her l…

The annual state budget process moved into the next stage this week with the release of the House Ways and Means fiscal year 2022 proposal. With many factors looming over state spending -- policy changes from the Biden administration, billions in federal aid dollars, and an evolving revenue picture -- the News Service's Chris Lisinski talks with Ma…

Advocates and public officials alike have been pushing for the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines even before the state announced its vaccination plan. On this week's "State House Takeout," reporter Katie Lannan sits down with Dr. Atyia Martin and Eva Millona of the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition to discuss the group's demands and how the s…

The Honorable Patrick Murphy, former Congressman from Pennsylvania and Acting Secretary of the Army, joins ACME General Corp. to talk about defense innovation from every perspective. Patrick is a former Congressman from Pennsylvania and Acting Secretary of the Army. He’s been a paratrooper, founded a tech startup, been a leading voice on cybersecur…

As the one-year anniversary approaches of Massachusetts' COVID-19 state of emergency, the SHNS reporters recount their memories from March 2020, recap the news of this week, and look ahead to the vaccination outlook for March 2021.By State House News Service

Helen Andrews new book, Boomers: The Men & Women Who Promised Freedom & Delivered Disaster is a tour de force. She joins me to discuss who they were, what they did, and how we rebuild after the madness.By Chris Buskirk

After the state's vaccine appointment website crashed the day that approximately 1 million residents became newly-eligible for shots, Gov. Charlie Baker took to GBH on Thursday to say his "hair is on fire about the whole thing." On this week's "State House Takeout," GBH's Mike Deehan, the Boston Herald's Erin Tiernan, and SHNS' Katie Lannan and Sam…

On this week's "State House Takeout," reporter Chris Lisinski dives into new election reform efforts and legislation with Sen. Cynthia Creem and MassVOTE Policy and Communications Manager Alex Psilakis. Tune in this week to hear about the senator's new bill, dubbed the VOTES Act, the effort to implement same-day voter registration, and make voting …

David McCormick joins ACME General Corp. for a conversation about military innovation. David is the CEO of Bridgewater Associates. He is also a US Army veteran who served in the first Gulf War. David served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs during the 2008 global financial crisis. He currently serves on several non-profit…

Wondering how lobbyists manage to serve their clients during a pandemic where face-to-face interactions have been forced into the virtual realm? Ben Fierro of Lynch & Fierro, LLP joins State House News Service's Matt Murphy on this week's "State House Takeout" to talk about the pandemic's impact on the lobbying world and what it's been like to keep…

On this week's "State House Takeout", reporter Katie Lannan sits down with MassBudget President Marie-Frances Rivera and Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation Executive Vice President Doug Howgate for a close look at Gov. Charlie Baker's fiscal 2022 budget, what people should be paying attention to, and how the spending plan affects K-12 education.…

A class of 19 new lawmakers joined the Legislature this month and many of them have only known lawmaking during the COVID-19 era where a large majority of House and Senate functions have been pushed into the virtual realm. On this week's "State House Takeout," hear from two of the new legislators, Sen. Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) and Rep. Meg Kilcoy…

On this week's State House Takeout, join reporters Matt Murphy, Katie Lannan, Colin Young, and Chris Lisinski as they break down the start of the 2021-2022 session, vaccination rollout efforts, the latest on the climate and emissions bill, and the security situation at the State House ahead of the Presidential Inauguration next week.…

Congressman Don Bacon, member of the House Armed Services Committee, joins ACME General Corp. for a conversation about the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Rep. Bacon is a retired Air Force brigadier general and representative for Nebraska's second congressional district. He is a co-founder and co-chair of the For Country Caucus and is a me…

Anna joins me to discuss how modernity broke civilization, denatures and degrades humanity, and how nice she is IRL. We also discuss the state of art and architecture, the desirability and necessity of religious revival, and living in a tiny house in Google's parking lot.By Chris Buskirk

With only hours remaining in a year that drastically reshaped all of our lives, the State House News Service crew sits down to reflect on the top stories of 2020. From a reckoning on race to former Speaker Robert DeLeo stepping down and a historically late budget to service cuts at the MBTA, the pandemic has touched every aspect of life and state g…

All signs point to House Speaker Robert DeLeo exiting his post on Beacon Hill after he filed a disclosure form revealing his plans to negotiate employment opportunities with his alma mater, Northeastern University. State House News Service's Sam Doran breaks down the latest developments with SHNS's Matt Murphy and the Boston Globe's Matt Stout on t…

Malcom Kyeyune joins me to discuss the decay evident in America's political system, where class analysis is insufficient and why understanding cultural divisions as caste divisions may be more helpful. We also discuss the increasing fragility in the system and the perceived (but not real) lack of agency built into process-based politics.…

“None of this is going to be easy. It's going to be a fight. That's why it's so significant that this report in this unbelievably divided time in American history is so bipartisan. That's an example that I hope everyone will recognize.” - Rep. Seth Moulton Future of Defense Task Force co-chair Congressman Seth Moulton joins ACME General Corp. for a…

With Gov. Charlie Baker rolling back the state's reopening plan and issuing new COVID-19 guidance, retail store capacity limits have been cut and restaurant patrons will have to vacate their tables after 90 minutes. The State House News Service's Sam Doran talks to Retailers Association of Massachusetts President Jon Hurst and Massachusetts Restaur…

With 32 days remaining until the legislative session ends on Jan. 5, the branches sprung into action on two closely watched bills this week: policing reform and the five-month-overdue state budget. On this week's "State House Takeout," the News Service's Sam Doran talks with Shira Schoenberg of CommonWealth, Steve Brown of WBUR, and the News Servic…

Blake Masters joins me to discuss the great stagnation, lessons learned since the beginning of the Trump era, and how to build a political movement focused on improving the lives of the middle and working class. Blake is the CEO of Thiel Capital and co-author with Peter Thiel Zero to One.By Chris Buskirk

Hillbilly Elegy, the Ron Howard directed biopic based on JD Vance's best-selling memoir is out in theatres & on Netflix. JD and I talk about what he learned about family, friendship, loyalty, and faith and how that informs his view of building a better America.By Chris Buskirk

Budget talk never dies, it just fades away for a few months. With COVID-19 scrambling the timeline for pretty much everything, the passage of a fiscal 2021 budget is running up against the start of talks for fiscal 2022. The State House News Service's Katie Lannan checks-in with Marie-Frances Rivera of Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center and Eil…

Michael Anton joined me to discuss what's at stake for America. Are all politics regime level politics now? Can American as we understand it survive Blue Caesar? And why, as always, California shows the potential for a future, one-party American dystopia that provides luxury for the few and decay for the many. We begin with a discussion of his new …

Numbers are flying around. Reporters are doing math. And in Massachusetts, election officials and budget writers are crunching those numbers during a week like no other. The "State House Takeout" crew sits down to parse through a huge news week including election results for legislative races and ballot questions. Stick around for a preview of next…

Rain? Snow? Sunny skies? None of the above ... only political forecasts on this week's "State House Takeout" with veteran commentator Jon Keller and the News Service's Sam Doran. Listen to Keller's thoughts on how a potential Biden administration might shake up the political scene in the Massachusetts, the legislative outlook for the fall and winte…

Matt Towery sees the race tightening and favoring President Trump's re-election. He's polled for Politico, ABC affiliates, Fox affiliates, and candidates across the country. And he got 2016 right. Now he explains what he thinks most polls are missing, how pollsters are getting it wrong and why that yields misleading results. And he explains what he…

Every day around 2:30 a.m. Danielle Sicard wakes up and starts running checklists through her head of things she needs to do the next day. Did she miss something? What might she forget? If she's lucky, she'll write a few notes down and head back to sleep for a few hours. As town clerk of Easton, Sicard said she is working 10 to 14 hour days to prep…