Ep. 01: It’s ALL National Security
Ep 01: It’s All National Security
7/14/2025
In this debut episode of Understandable Insights, Eric and Sue dive into a heavy mix of headlines, from the devastation in Kerrville, TX to the energy-hungry appetite of AI, the surge in deepfake voice scams, and the whiplash of US policy in Ukraine. Through it all, they unpack what these stories really mean for national security. It’s not all doom and gloom though, there’s room for smart policy, smart investment, and a little sports banter.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:32 Sue's Health Update and Personal Reflections
02:23 National Security Headlines
02:48 Kerrville Flood and FEMA's Role
13:53 AI's Impact on Energy Grids
26:19 Qantas Hack and AI-Driven Phishing
35:22 US-Ukraine Relations and Strategic Ambiguity
40:36 Predictions and Closing
Big words Eric had to look up:
Comport- to be fitting,
Antipathy- a strong feeling of dislike
Anathema*- someone or something intensely disliked or loathed —usually used as a predicate nominative
Articles:
Texas Floods & FEMA Response
New York Times Editorial Board. (2025, July 9). Texas Floods and a Forecast We Can’t Ignore. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/opinion/texas-floods-nws.html
Goldberg, M. (2025, July 7). What Happens When FEMA Fails Us?. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/07/opinion/texas-floods-fema.html
Lozano, A. (2025, July 9). FEMA’s Flood Maps Missed It. Texas Is Paying the Price. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2025/07/09/nx-s1-5460970/fema-texas-flooding-floodplain-camp-mystic
Bloomberg News. (2025, July 9). Few Texas Homeowners Hit by Flash Flooding Have Flood Insurance. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-09/few-texas-homeowners-hit-by-flash-flooding-have-flood-insurance
AI Energy Demands & Infrastructure Stress
Financial Times. (2025, July 7). Data Centres' AI Boom Sparks Grid Stability Fears. Financial Times. https://on.ft.com/46sUDCd
International Energy Agency. (2018). The Future of Cooling. https://www.iea.org/futureofcooling/
International Energy Agency. (2024). Electricity 2024: Analysis and Forecast to 2026. https://www.iea.org/reports/electricity-2024
Cybersecurity, Deepfakes & Voice Phishing
Fox News. (2025, July 8). Qantas Data Breach Exposes Millions of Customer Records. https://www.foxnews.com/tech/qantas-data-breach-exposes-millions-customer-records
Ducharme, J. (2025, July 8). AI Voice Scams Are Targeting U.S. Officials. How Do You Defend Against Them? TIME. https://time.com/7301176/impersonation-ai-voice-vishing-scam-rubio-wiles-trump-fbi-advice/
Ukraine, Strategic Ambiguity, and Defense Policy
Barnes, J. E. (2025, July 8). Trump’s Pentagon Turns Aid to Ukraine On, Then Off, Then On Again. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/08/world/europe/ukraine-russia-us-weapons-trump.html
*Denotes a word Eric actually had to look up.
