By The FirstMike Baker sits down with retired CIA operations officer and former Caracas Station Chief Rick de la Torre following his recent trip to Venezuela’s capital. Drawing on decades of experience in the country, de la Torre shares his firsthand impressions of Caracas five months after the fall of Nicolás Maduro, what has changed on the ground, and what the country’s future may hold.
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Gordon Chang: Nvidia Needs To Be Investigated By The FBI
Author Gordon Chang joins Mike Baker on The PDB Situation Report to examine reports that a suspected Chinese intelligence asset cultivated ties with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Chang explains why he believes Nvidia warrants an FBI investigation, raising questions about how restricted American AI chips are reaching China and whether technology companies are doing enough to prevent their diversion. Baker and Chang also discuss the challenges of counterintelligence investigations, weaknesses in export enforcement, and Beijing’s efforts to gain access to America’s most sensitive technology.
Is Xi Jinping Losing Control Of China??
Author and China expert Gordon Chang joins Mike Baker on The PDB Situation Report to examine the growing political turmoil inside China’s Communist Party following its Fifth Plenum. As Xi Jinping expands his purge of senior officials and military commanders, questions are mounting about the stability of his leadership and the divisions emerging within China’s ruling elite. Chang discusses what the latest shakeups could reveal about Xi’s grip on power, the challenges confronting Beijing, and what China’s internal political struggles could mean for the United States.
Why France Can’t Get Its Riots Under Control
Simon Hankinson of the Heritage Foundation joins Mike Baker on The PDB Situation Report to examine the unrest sweeping France and the organizations behind the demonstrations. Hankinson explores the groups mobilizing protesters, the tensions driving the unrest, and the challenges facing French authorities as they attempt to restore order. With additional demonstrations planned, the discussion turns to whether France can contain the violence—or whether the country is heading toward another round of confrontation.
Why Iran Is Terrified Of A New Insurgency
: Janatan Sayeh of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies joins Mike Baker on The PDB Situation Report to examine the growing armed insurgency challenging Iran’s ruling regime. Sayeh breaks down the militant groups operating inside Iran, the attacks targeting Iranian security forces, and the challenges Tehran faces as it attempts to contain armed resistance while confronting mounting pressure abroad. He explains why these insurgent movements could pose a serious threat to the regime’s internal security—and whether Iran’s leaders can prevent the violence from spreading.
China Can’t Conquer Taiwan—and Xi’s Generals Know It
Steve Yates of the Heritage Foundation joins Mike Baker on The PDB Situation Report to examine whether China can actually conquer Taiwan. Yates argues Beijing lacks the military capability to take and hold the island—and suggests Xi Jinping’s sweeping military purges reflect his generals’ unwillingness to promise victory. He explains how China tests Western resolve through escalating pressure, why threatening Taiwan is different from occupying it, and how Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong has undermined its promises of peaceful unification.