The Gist

At Sea With James Stavridis

The retired admiral answers all of our questions about ISIS, H.R. McMaster, and life on a submarine.

Retired Admiral James Stavridis speaks to journalists during the Supreme Allied Commander Europe change of command ceremony in Mons, Belgium, on July 2, 2009.

John Thys/Getty Images

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Retired Adm. James Stavridis wants to remind us: Despite headlines about the rise of ISIS, there are bigger existential threats to America. “Terrorism is not apocalyptic, it’s a tool,” says Stavridis. He warns that conflicts with Russia and China are much more worrisome and likely to include a maritime component. “Again and again when there’s a crisis, the first question from the president is, where are the [aircraft] carriers? They are flexible and they can strike.” His new book is Sea Power.

In the Spiel, making a supergroup of the musicians in Trump’s White House.

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