On May 15, President Trump announced Operation Warp Speed, an unprecedented effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine as quickly as possible. With a number of vaccines already in Phase 3 clinical trials, the administration is hoping for results by January 2021.

Dr. Moncef Slaoui, the director of Operation Warp Speed, joined Dany and Marc to explain how the US is working with the public and private sector to accelerate vaccine development at a speed never before seen. He also discusses the likely efficacy, timeline, and distribution challenges of a future vaccine.

Following the killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests, Sen. Tim Scott introduced the JUSTICE Act, which aimed to address police abuses and systemic issues affecting at risk communities. Despite Republicans’ offer to allow votes on as many amendments as Democrats wanted, Senate Democrats voted to block the bill.

Sen. Scott joined Dany and Marc to discuss the JUSTICE Act and partisan delays in meaningful police reform. The three also talk about Sen. Scott’s conversation on race with President Trump and the challenge of growing violence in America’s cities.

The New York Times reported that the Russian government was paying Taliban fighters to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. As the story unfolded, questions about the veracity of the intelligence, Putin’s motives, and the Trump administration’s knowledge of the incident muddied the waters.

Fred Kagan joined the show to explain how the Russian government is using Afghanistan and other conflict zones to undermine American leadership abroad. He also discusses the validity of the intelligence and how the US should respond, if the reporting is true.

The May US jobs report blockbuster was a shock to many who expected more bad news. But there’s additional data that shows positive signs, indicating that the economy might rebound from the coronavirus lockdown faster than initially expected.

Michael Strain joined the show to explain why America is likely to see rapid economic growth over the summer, but a slower recovery thereafter. He also judges the effectiveness of the government’s economic relief packages and discusses how the economy will affect President Trump’s reelection prospects.

What should Congress be doing to push back on China in the wake of the coronavirus? And what will the pandemic, widespread protests for racial equality, and growing political polarization mean for 2020 elections?

Sen. Cory Gardner joined the show to talk about the need for a bipartisan consensus on China, and explain why the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act provides the best framework for US policy in the region. He also discusses 2020 elections, recent protests, and Colorado politics.

The United States was overwhelmed by protests this week, as thousands took to the streets to demonstrate against the unjust killing of George Floyd. Unfortunately, some protests turned violent, with organized groups such as Antifa exploiting outrage over racism and police brutality to sow further unrest.

Sen. Ted Cruz joined the show to discuss protests, riots and how US adversaries are taking advantage of American discord. He also address important next steps in confronting Communist China, the Trump administration’s
Iran policy, and the 2020 election.

The Justice Department recently dropped its charges against Michael Flynn, President Trump’s former national security advisor. The decision has reignited the debate over Flynn’s alleged collusion with the Russian government, the Obama administration’s role, and whether, in light of new evidence, Flynn has been exonerated.

Journalist and former prosecutor David French joined the show to explain that while the FBI mishandled the Flynn case, he isn’t exonerated. French also discusses new revelations about Flynn’s unmasking, the US justice system, and the case’s likely outcome.

There were 158,000 “deaths of despair” in the US in 2018. Think of it as three fully loaded Boeing 737 MAX jets falling out of the sky every day for a year. In their new book, “Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism,” Anne Case and Angus Deaton talk about the other epidemic decimating American communities, now exacerbated by the coronavirus.

What’s to blame for these increased deaths from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism? Sir Angus joined Dany and Marc to discuss his new book and the coronavirus’ likely impact on communities already suffering from opioid abuse, unemployment, alcoholism and suicide. He also explains why other countries aren’t experiencing the phenomenon and what can be done to reverse the trend.

The international community has recognized Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela for over a year, yet Nicolás Maduro’s regime remains in power in Caracas. Last week, a group of ex-Venezuelan soldiers and American mercenaries tried to oust Maduro, only to be quickly defeated by forces loyal to the regime.

AEI’s Roger Noriega joined the show to talk about the attempted coup and US policy toward Venezuela. He explains how the opposition movement has been infiltrated by Cuban intelligence, what the Trump administration should be doing, and how illicit drugs and transnational organized crime in Venezuela affects Americans.

As Americans began the coronavirus quarantine in mid-March, alarming social media posts and widely circulated texts warned of military-imposed lockdowns and travel bans within the US. New reports suggest that Chinese agents may have played a role in propagating those messages to deliberately sow discord throughout the country.

Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell joined the show to discuss Beijing’s global disinformation campaign and how the Chinese Communist Party has changed in recent years. He also talks about the Trump administration’s Asia strategy and explains what Kim Jong Un’s recent absence might mean for North Korea.