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PDB Evening Edition | April 21st, 2025: US Touts 'Very Good Progress' On Iran Nuclear Talks & Hegseth Back In Hot Water Over Second Signal Group Chat
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- [00:00]
Susan Ettlinger
The PC gave us computing power at home, the Internet connected us, and mobile let us do it pretty much anywhere. Now, generative AI lets us communicate with technology in our own language, using our own senses. But figuring it all out when you're living through it is a totally different story. Welcome to Leading the Shift, a new podcast from Microsoft Azure. I'm your host, Susan Ettlinger. In each episode, leaders will share what they're learning to help you navigate all this change with confidence. Please join us, listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
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Mike Baker
It's Monday, 21st April. Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. Okay, fair enough. It's the PDB Late Evening Bulletin this time around. I apologize, but sometimes travel schedules have a tendency to get screwed up. That would be the case today. So better late than never. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. We'll start things off with the latest update on the diplomatic talks between the US And Iran. As the Trump administration says, very good progress. Those are their words, is being made. And the Iranian regime says, well, they're working on designing a new framework for a nuclear deal. Later in the show, U.S. secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is once again in hot water after fresh revelations that he used a second signal. Chat group Signal Thing has taken off like hotcakes on his personal phone to discuss sensitive information about ongoing U.S. military actions in Yemen. But first, today's Afternoon Spotlight or late evening Spotlight. We're beginning to learn more about Saturday's nuclear talks in Rome between the US And Iran, and what the next phase of negotiations could look like. While the finer details of the second round of negotiations have not been released, a senior White House official said the talks were productive and are heading in a positive direction. Iranian officials were similarly optimistic, describing the latest meeting as a step forward that opens the door for more substantive negotiations. A third round of discussions are now slated to take place later this week in Oman. That's according to our report from the Times of Israel. Like the first round of Talks back on 12 April in Oman, Saturday's discussions in Italy were mostly conducted indirectly, with Omani intermediaries passing messages between both parties. However, reports indicate that at some point, Middle east envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi spoke face to face. A Trump administration official thanked their Omani partners for facilitating the talks and told the Times of Israel today in Rome over four hours, in our second round of talks, we made very good progress in our direct and indirect discussions. The Iranian foreign minister echoed those sentiments, telling Iranian state media it was a good meeting and I can say that the negotiations are moving forward. Aragchi vaguely added that this time we managed to reach a better understanding on a series of principles and goals. He said that expert level meetings are now slated to begin on Wednesday in Oman, which will provide the opportunity to start designing a framework for an agreement. Notably, the Iranian foreign minister said both sides had agreed that it was time to move on from the framework of the 2015 nuclear deal. It was known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. That agreement collapsed in 2018 after President Trump in his first term withdrew the US over concerns that Iran was not adhering to their commitments, and he reinstated sweeping sanctions on Iran under his maximum pressure campaign. Iran has been desperately seeking to have those sanctions removed while still preserving a nuclear program that they dubiously claim is only for civilian purposes. Given the large hurdles that still need to be cleared, it's unclear how this round of negotiations to end Iran's nuclear ambitions will differ from the terms of the Obama era jcpoa. Just last week, for example, Iradci declared that the question of uranium enrichment was non negotiable. Witkoff responded by insisting that any final arrangement must see Iran's nuclear infrastructure dismantled and in its entirety. But Omani officials appeared hopeful that they can bridge the remaining divide. Oman's foreign minister confirmed on Sunday that they'll be hosting the third round of talks later this week and said they aim to seal a fair, enduring and binding deal which will ensure Iran is completely free of nuclear weapons and sanctions and maintaining its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy, end quote. Now, while those may sound like lofty ambitions, Oman's foreign minister said that given the momentum of the talks now, even the unlikely is possible. Still, the talks are obviously at a delicate stage and President Trump continues to warn that military options remain on the table should Iran fail to continue negotiations in good faith. Early last week, Trump made it clear that he won't tolerate delays or defiance. He told reporters that the Iranian regime cannot have a nuclear weapon, stating if we have to do something very harsh, we'll do it. Meanwhile, as the clock ticks on securing a deal, Iran continues to ramp up its nuclear program. The regime is still enriching uranium to 60% purity, far above civilian energy needs and dangerously close to weapons grade levels. Last Wednesday, the International Atomic Energy agency, or the IAEA released a report confirming that Iran possesses roughly 605 pounds of uranium, enriched up to 60% and holds nearly all the components needed to assemble a bomb. The Iranian regime, of course, insists that the program is for peaceful purposes, yet it continues to bar international inspectors from accessing key facilities, heightening suspicions about its intentions. If only we had some clues. Well, let's see. They've got 605 pounds of 60% enriched uranium. They're nearly all the components necessary to assemble a bomb. And they continue to refuse access to key facilities. What could it all mean? Coming up next, U.S. secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is once again in the headlines for reportedly sharing sensitive information about ongoing U.S. military operations in Yemen in a group chat from his personal phone. I'll have those details when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, I know you know this, but owning a handgun or any weapon for self defense comes with serious responsibility. You need it to be both secure and accessible when it matters most. That's what Stopbox USA set out to solve with the Stopbox Pro. It's a lockbox that gives you instant access to your firearm. No electronics, no keys or codes required. The five button locking system responds to your unique input. It's built for muscle memory, so you're not thinking, you're reacting. Look, I have a Stopbox Pro at home and it's an excellent piece of kit, extremely well made, secure and easy to use. With the Stopbox Pro, you don't have to trade safety for speed. 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Welcome back to the afternoon. Well, okay, this time around, it's the late evening bulletin. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is once again facing scrutiny after revelation said he used a second signal chat group, this time on his personal phone to share sensitive information about ongoing U.S. military operations in Yemen. The disclosure, first reported by Reuters on Sunday, marks the second known incident involving unsecured communications at the highest levels of national security and has intensified concerns over the Trump administration's handling of classified information. As our regular PDB listeners will recall, the earlier breach involved the Atlantic's Editor in Chief, Jeffrey Goldberg being mistakenly added to a signal thread created by National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and that included Hegseth, and it was to coordinate covert strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. Well, that alone, of course, was a major misstep, and Waltz publicly accepted blame for the lapse. Now, attention has turned to a parallel signal chat created during hegseth's confirmation process and. And dubbed the Defense Team Huddle. That's a catchy name. It was initially intended to facilitate administrative matters with a small circle of trusted insiders, including his wife, his brother and legal counsel. But a source close to the matter told Reuters that the chat later became a conduit for real time operational updates. Oh, here, honey. Did I tell you about the operational updates for the attacks on the Houthis, including flight schedules for F A18 Hornet missions targeting Iranian backed Houthi terrorists. Crucially, the chat was run on Hegseth's personal phone, raising concerns regarding the vulnerability of sensitive data. Roughly a dozen people had access to the group, some of whom, like Hegseth's brother, a liaison at dhs, occupied positions outside the Department of Defense chain of command. This latest breach comes just days after a broader internal leak investigation triggered the ouster of several high level officials. Dan Caldwell, Hegseth's close advisor and the Pentagon's designated point man in the original signal chat, was escorted from the building just last week. And two additional aides, Hegseth's Deputy Chief of Staff Darren Selnick and Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg's Chief of staff Colin Carroll, were also forced out on Friday. Fallout on Capitol Hill, as you can imagine, has been blistering. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X, we keep learning how Pete Hegseth put lives at risk. Hegseth must be fired, end quote. Iraq war veteran and Senator Tammy Duckworth echoed that sentiment, posting quote, hegseth must resign in disgrace. Oh, not just resign, but she said resign in disgrace, end quote. But inside the Pentagon, the pushback has taken on a defiant tone. Spokesman Sean Parnell dismissed the uproar as politically charged, claiming the Trump hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump's agenda. Still, the damage may already be done as the growing scandal threatens to overshadow US Military operations in the region. And Hegseth's ability to ensure trust in the chain of command continues to be in question. Alright, before we go, we need to acknowledge the passing of a major global figure this morning. Of course, the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, Vatican Administrator Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in a statement, quote, dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome Francis returned to the house of the Father, end quote. Now, the 88 year old Francis had been hospitalized with severe bronchitis and pneumonia in both lungs back in February, but had recently returned to his duties, though he remained confined to a wheelchair. Francis led the world's 1.3 billion Catholics for more than a decade, and his death now sets in motion the process to select his successor. The College of Cardinals, currently totaling 135, will begin preparations for a conclave likely to convene in the coming weeks inside the Sistine Chapel to elect the 267th pope. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Monday, the 21st of April. Now, if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB@the FIRSTTV.com and of course, to listen to the show ad free. Become a premium member of the President's Daily brief by visiting PDB premium.com I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. It.