One Decision Podcast and Spy Museum Host Leon Panetta, Congressional and World Leaders Ahead of NATO Summit
As the NATO Alliance prepares to mark its 75th anniversary and gathers for a pivotal summit in Washington, D.C. this week, the One Decision podcast and the International Spy Museum brought together distinguished panels of American and global leaders hosted on-site at the Spy Museum for a look at what can be expected out of the summit. One Decision co-host, the former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, was joined by Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Congressman Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, and Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, along with former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. Former CBS Washington Correspondent Christina Ruffini and Spy Museum Historian and Curator Dr. Andrew Hammond served as moderators and Spy Museum’s Executive Director Chris Costa provided opening and closing remarks informed by his own work with NATO.
“It is extraordinarily important to get leaders together on the margins of these major summits,” said One Decision Executive Producer Christine Baratta. “Tonight’s discussion raised a number of critical questions and issues that NATO needs to tackle in the coming days. The partnership with the International Spy Museum allowed us to create this really powerful platform that brought together hundreds for the live recording and following online.”
One Decision has previously organized virtual programs and receptions from prior NATO summits and UN General Assemblies, but this is the first time the show was recorded in front of a live studio audience. The sold-out gathering included a number of top diplomats, Members of Congress, and over 100 journalists from around the globe. It comes as the podcast, which also counts former MI6 Chief Sir Richard Dearlove among its co-hosts, has become the most popular podcast in the world for diplomatic discussions.
“With the NATO alliance commemorating its 75th anniversary in the city in which it was signed, we are thrilled to host world leaders for a critical discussion at the Spy Museum about the shifting threat landscape in this constantly changing world," shared International Spy Museum’s Executive Director Chris Costa. "In partnership with One Decision Podcast, the Spy Museum sees this discussion as a natural extension of its educational mission to be at the forefront of the global conversation and inform the public of the past, present, and future of the world of intelligence and espionage.”
The International Spy Museum (SPY) is an independent nonprofit museum in Washington, DC dedicated to the history and impact of espionage. Known as one of the most popular museums in the nation’s capital, the Museum has the largest collection of international espionage artifacts ever placed on public display, a slate of high-profile programming, and a strong educational mission. The Museum reaches its audience on site and through its virtual offerings including its popular weekly podcast SpyCast hosted by Historian and Curator Dr. Andrew Hammond exploring all things espionage and intelligence. The Museum offers the public an objective and apolitical forum for exploring global conversations and engaging critically with the world around us.
An audio recording of the discussion has been released jointly on the One Decision and SpyCast podcasts and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts.
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About Situation Room Studios
Situation Room Studios produces award-winning, chart-topping podcasts in every major market around the world by leveraging unrivaled access and a high-powered network of leading journalists, academics, government officials, and celebrities. Our comprehensive production services include developing world class programs and organizing high-profile live engagements and podcast recordings. Our lineup includes One Decision, a leading global affairs podcast that analyzes the biggest decisions with a global impact featuring insights from history’s top spymasters. Press Advance bridges the divide in America by bringing together diverse political views hosted by former Obama administration senior official Johanna Maska. The Media Mix features industry power players and newsmakers from the world of global media, tech, and marketing hosted by veteran international journalist Claire Atkinson. For more information go to www.sitroomstudios.com. Situation Room Studios is a division of Global Situation Room® (GSR), Inc., a firm specializing in Complex Communications® challenges.
About the International Spy Museum
The International Spy Museum, an independent nonprofit organization, is the only public museum in the United States to lift the veil on the tradecraft, history, and contemporary role of espionage and intelligence from a global perspective. The Museum’s mission is to create compelling exhibitions and other learning experiences that shed light on the shadow world of espionage and intelligence, educating and challenging each of us to engage critically with the complex world around us. The Museum's collection chronicles the history of espionage, from its inception to the modern-day challenges facing intelligence professionals worldwide in the 21st century. The original Spy Museum opened in 2002. Its new, expanded building and all-new exhibitions opened in May 2019 to much acclaim. For more information, please visit spymuseum.org.
