Free Daily Podcast Summary
Cache Me If You Can: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Center for Strategic and International Studies
In Cache Me If You Can, host Matt Pearl examines the technologies and policies shaping the future and U.S. innovation leadership.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 days ago36 min
U.S. Cyber Force: Building a Service for the Digital Battlefield
In this special edition of Cache Me if You Can, we explore the evolving cyber threat landscape facing the United States and what it would actually look like to stand up a dedicated U.S. Cyber Force. As cyberattacks on critical infrastructure become more frequent and sophisticated, questions around how the Pentagon organizes, trains, and equips cyber operators have become increasingly urgent. From state-backed operations like SolarWinds and Salt Typhoon to the rapid rise of AI-enabled cyber capabilities, the current force generation model is being tested by the demands of modern conflict in cyberspace. Guests Dr. Erica Lonergan, Lieutenant General Ed Cardon (Ret.), and Joshua Stiefel join us to discuss why policymakers and military leaders are increasingly examining the possibility of an independent military service dedicated to the cyber domain. Drawing on the work of the CSIS Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation, the conversation examines both the strategic need for a Cyber Force and the practical realities of implementing one. The episode explores what a Cyber Force could look like in practice, including its mission scope, personnel structure, institutional alignment within the Department of Defense, and relationship with existing organizations like U.S. Cyber Command. We also discuss how a dedicated cyber service could better recruit and retain top cyber talent while leveraging private-sector innovation and emerging technologies. Finally, we examine what is at stake for the United States as cyber operations become increasingly central to military competition and national security in the digital battlefield.
- 2 weeks ago33 min
Europe’s Cyber Deterrence Dilemma: Countering Russia in the Gray Zone
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we explore how cyber conflict and hybrid warfare are reshaping the European security landscape. As Russian operations increasingly blur the line between peace and war, Europe faces mounting pressure to rethink how it approaches deterrence, resilience, and competition in the digital age. Our guest, Dr. Alexander Klimburg, joins us to discuss his recent report, Enter Europe’s Cyber Deterrence, and unpack the evolving nature of Russian hybrid campaigns. We examine how cyber operations, disinformation, sabotage, and information warfare work together to erode political cohesion and apply persistent pressure below the threshold of conventional conflict. The conversation explores Europe’s current response strategy—built around norms, regulation, resilience, and limited punishment—and why these tools may be insufficient against compellence-oriented adversaries. We also discuss the growing uncertainty surrounding long-term U.S. support for European security and what Europe’s dependence on American cyber capabilities means for the future of deterrence. Finally, we examine Klimburg’s proposal for a European Cyber Operations Group (ECOG), a coalition-based model designed to strengthen Europe’s ability to conduct coordinated counter-hybrid operations and operate more effectively in the gray zone.
- May 6, 202624 min
Innovation to Deployment: Fixing the Pentagon’s Acquisition Gap
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine a core challenge at the heart of U.S. technology competition: the Pentagon’s struggle to procure and field emerging technologies at the speed of innovation. Our guest, Jerry McGinn, joins us to unpack the Department of Defense’s latest push to transform its acquisition system, an effort aimed at accelerating how the military identifies, buys, and deploys capabilities in areas like AI, cyber, and autonomous systems. We explore why traditional procurement processes, built for slow-moving hardware programs, are ill-suited for today’s software-driven technologies, and what that means for U.S. competitiveness. The conversation also breaks down the Pentagon’s proposed reforms, from prioritizing commercial solutions to overhauling regulatory barriers, and assesses whether they can meaningfully close the gap between technological innovation and military deployment. Finally, we examine the broader implications for the defense industrial base, emerging tech companies, and U.S. allies, asking a central question: can the United States adapt its acquisition system fast enough to compete in an era defined by rapid technological change?
- Apr 22, 202627 min
SpaceX vs. Huawei: Innovation, Power, and the New Tech Rivalry
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine how two of the world’s most influential companies, SpaceX and Huawei, are increasingly shaping the trajectory of global technology competition. Once operating in entirely separate domains, space infrastructure and telecommunications, these firms are now converging across critical frontiers, including AI, connectivity, and data ecosystems. Our guest, Eva Dou, is an award-winning journalist and the author of House of Huawei. Drawing on years of reporting on China’s political economy and technology sector, Eva unpacks how Huawei’s rise and its rivalry with U.S. firms offer a powerful lens into broader geopolitical competition. In this episode, we explore how space-based connectivity is challenging traditional terrestrial networks, why companies like SpaceX may be redefining infrastructure from orbit, and how both firms are becoming central to surveillance and data systems. This episode looks beyond individual companies to ask a bigger question: what do SpaceX and Huawei reveal about how the United States and China build, scale, and compete in the technologies that will define the future?
- Apr 1, 202631 min
Iran’s Cyber Threat: What’s Real, What’s Noise and What Comes Ahead
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we examine Iran’s evolving cyber strategy and what recent activity reveals about the role of cyberspace in modern conflict. While headlines often highlight disruptive attacks and hacktivist activity, the reality of Iran’s cyber operations is more complex—blending state-backed actors, proxy groups, and information campaigns to shape perceptions, signal resolve, and complement activity across other domains. Our guests, Lauryn Williams, Deputy Director and Senior Fellow with the Strategic Technologies Program at CSIS; Dr. Nikita Shah, Senior Fellow with the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology Program at CSIS; and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Maria Barrett, former Commander of U.S. Army Cyber Command, bring deep expertise from government, military, and strategic policy roles. Together, they unpack how Iran calibrates cyber operations alongside information warfare, economic pressure, and geopolitical signaling. We discuss the distinction between high-volume cyber activity and operations that create meaningful strategic effects, including reported attacks on financial systems and the growing use of AI-enabled influence campaigns. The conversation also explores how cyber operations intersect with other tools of statecraft, why cyber activity alone rarely determines the trajectory of conflict, and what indicators may signal escalation in the months ahead.
- Mar 13, 202626 min
From Cloud to AI: Engineering Next-Gen Data Centers
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we explore how artificial intelligence is driving an unprecedented expansion of data center infrastructure. While the cloud era transformed digital services, AI workloads are fundamentally changing how data centers must be designed, powered, and cooled. Our guest, Ty Schmitt, Vice President and Dell Fellow in Dell Technologies’ Infrastructure Solutions Group CTO organization, brings more than three decades of experience in server hardware, thermal design, and data center engineering. Drawing on his work shaping Dell’s data center technology and sustainability strategy, Ty explains why AI infrastructure is scaling so rapidly and what makes it technically different from the cloud systems that came before. We discuss the engineering challenges behind high-power AI chips, the industry’s shift from air to liquid cooling, and how data center builders are adapting to rising energy demands and community concerns as AI infrastructure expands.
- Feb 18, 202636 min
Beyond the Cloud: The Future of Data Centers
In this episode of Cache Me if You Can, we go beneath the cloud to examine the physical infrastructure powering today’s digital economy: data centers. As demand for cloud services, AI workloads, and high-performance computing accelerates, data centers have become critical national assets—while also emerging as flashpoints for debates over energy use, land, labor, and local governance. Our guest, Chris Kimm, former Senior Vice President at Equinix, brings decades of experience operating and scaling global data center infrastructure at the intersection of technology, customers, and public policy. Drawing on his leadership across data center operations in the Americas and global customer service teams, as well as his time chairing the Data Center Coalition’s Board of Directors, Chris helps unpack how modern data centers work, how they’ve evolved, and why misconceptions about their impact persist. We discuss what actually happens inside a data center, how facilities differ from hyperscale to edge deployments, where innovation is happening most rapidly, and how the industry is responding to mounting energy and sustainability challenges. The conversation also explores why regions like Northern Virginia became data center hubs, what economic benefits these facilities bring to local communities, and how policymakers can better balance growth with public concerns as digital infrastructure continues to expand.
- Feb 4, 20269 min
Sovereign Cloud and Sovereign AI, Explained
In this special Cache Me If You Can episode, we bring you a CSIS event featuring Matt Pearl, Director of the Strategic Technologies Program, in conversation with Bill Whyman, Senior Advisor with CSIS Strategic Technologies and author of the new CSIS paper Sovereign Cloud–Sovereign AI Conundrum: Policy Actions to Achieve Prosperity and Security. The discussion explores the global push for sovereign cloud and sovereign AI, as well as the difficult tradeoffs governments face as they seek greater control over data, compute, and cloud infrastructure. Matt and Bill break down what cloud computing is, why digital sovereignty has surged to the top of the policy agenda, and where sovereign approaches risk undermining innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth through higher costs, scalability limits, and fragmentation. Read Bill’s paper: https://www.csis.org/analysis/sovereign-cloud-sovereign-ai-conundrum-policy-actions-achieve-prosperity-and-security
About Cache Me If You Can
In Cache Me If You Can, host Matt Pearl examines the technologies and policies shaping the future and U.S. innovation leadership.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from Cache Me If You Can in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Cache Me If You Can daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Cache Me If You Can as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Cache Me If You Can podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Cache Me If You Can product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does Cache Me If You Can release new episodes?
Cache Me If You Can publishes biweekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does Cache Me If You Can cover?
Cache Me If You Can covers topics including Technology, Government. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting Cache Me If You Can summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.