The "Holiday Hangover" Edition

<p>This week, Alan, Quinta and Scott go guestless as they sat down to discuss the week's national security news, including:</p><ul><li>“Show Me Your Omicron Face”: Scientists have identified a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/26/health/omicron-variant-what-we-know/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">virulent new strain</a> of the coronavirus, leading governments to enact travel bans and other restrictions. What does this tell us about our future living with the virus?</li><li>“Iran Aground in Vienna?”: A <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/29/world/europe/iran-sanctions-nuclear-talks.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new round of talks</a> seeking to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement kicked off this week. Are the parties stuck or is there hope for progress?</li><li>“Did You Know That 1 in 5 Former Federal Employees Suffers from Premature Publication?”: A <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-knight-institute-petition-supreme-court-review-constitutionality-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new lawsuit</a> asks the Supreme Court: are the prepublication review requirements imposed on former federal employees consistent with free speech?</li></ul><p>For object lessons, Quinta endorsed Colson Whitehead's latest book,&nbsp;“<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/608669/harlem-shuffle-by-colson-whitehead/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harlem Shuffle</a><em>.”&nbsp;</em>Alan continued the literary trend by recommending J.B. Libscomb's&nbsp;philosophical history,&nbsp;“<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-women-are-up-to-something-9780197541074?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Women Are Up to Something</a><em>.”&nbsp;</em>And Scott urged listeners to check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtvg9/episodes/downloads" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Lazarus Heist</a>, a podcast series from BBC World on North Korean cybercrime.&nbsp;</p><