You're listening to Non-Zero World.

I'm your host, Connor Eccles.

Each week, I break down the latest developments in U.S. foreign policy and other global news,

and I interview a leading expert or activist.

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Hey, Julie. How you doing?

Good. And how are you, Connor?

You know, about as good as one can be.

Yeah, we're all hanging in by a thread, but pushing forward nonetheless.

Yeah, so we'll try to, maybe we'll try to lift people's spirits a little bit with this by talking about, you know, some positive potential possibilities in the future.

Before we do that, why don't I introduce us? So I am Connor Eccles, the co-host or the host of the

Non-Zero podcast and also the managing editor of the Non-Zero newsletter. And this is, of course,

Non-Zero World, which is the podcast that I host each week and the weekend edition of the Non Zero podcast. You are Julia

Gledhill, a research associate at the Stimson Center, where you focus on Pentagon spending

and weapons acquisition. And you're also a co-host of the undiplomatic podcast, which is very

fun because we had another one of your co-host on a couple

weeks ago. So the synergy only grows between our shows. Very exciting. Very exciting stuff.

Yeah. But I brought you on because you're a perfect person to talk about the fact that for the first time

in a long time, there's a real conversation about making cuts to the

Pentagon budget that seems at least somewhat serious. And maybe you'll be able to tell me

whether or not there is any seriousness there. But, you know, between the potential Doge-related

...