16 NOVEMBER 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL O ne of the many excellent podcast series from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, This Does Not Compute focuses on the fields of cybersecurity, internet governance, space policy, intelligence, and other areas of technology policy. Past episodes have featured the Treasury Department’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis; the future of Meta’s Threads, which was introduced as an alternative to the floundering X (formerly Twitter); and the effects of disinformation on the Asian American community. In a recent episode titled “Lessons from History: Technology and Policymaking,” host Caitlin Chin talks with historian Jason Steinhauer about artificial intelligence (AI) and disinformation. Steinhauer is the author of the bestselling History, Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past, which was highlighted in the November 2022 FSJ. In this episode, Steinhauer, founding director of the Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest at Villanova University, talks about how policymakers can use their knowledge of history to address modern challenges like AI and online disinformation. Podcast of the Month: This Does Not Compute (www.csis.org/podcasts/does-not-compute) The appearance of a particular site or podcast is for information only and does not constitute an endorsement. 2016. The rift led to instability in neighboring Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen. But on Sept. 5, the two nations once again exchanged ambassadors. On Sept. 18, five Americans jailed in Iran were released in a prisoner swap, leading to hope for further negotiations on other issues, such as a new nuclear deal. Five Iranians were also released from U.S. custody, and the U.S. agreed to grant Tehran access to $6 billion of its reserves that had been frozen overseas. Secretary Speaks with American Imprisoned in Russia On Aug. 16, Secretary Blinken spoke by telephone with Paul Whelan, an American who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than four years. This marks the second time the Secretary has personally spoken with Whelan. A source told CNN that Blinken told Whelan: “Keep the faith, and we’re doing everything we can to bring you home as soon as possible.” Several other Americans are currently in prison in Russia, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marc Fogel, a former teacher at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, which was forced to close by the Russian government in May. U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy met with both Whelan and Gershkovich in September. n This edition of Talking Points was compiled by Donna Scaramastra Gorman. AFSPA afspa.org/openseason afspa.org/aip BlueCross BlueShield Federal Employee Program www.fepblue.org/covered Clements Worldwide Clements.com/fsj Chambers Theory Property Management www.chamberstheory.com FEDS Protection fedsprotection.com Property Specialists, Inc. PropertySpecialistsinc.com Richey Property Management RicheyPM.com/foreignservice Senior Living Foundation slfoundation.org WJD Management wjdpm.com
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