Legendary violinist and composer L. Shankar joins Chris Sampson on The Wire Tap for a deep, wide-ranging conversation on music, consciousness, and a lifetime of innovation.
From the sacred traditions of South Indian classical music and the Guru–Shishya lineage, to groundbreaking collaborations with Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Don Cherry, Zakir Hussain, and Tony Levin, Shankar reveals how music transcends borders, genres, and time.
In this interview, we explore:
The spiritual foundation of Indian classical music
Why music is more than mathematics — it’s consciousness
The creation of Shankar’s revolutionary double violin
The shift from temple performance to modern global audiences
What it was like working with Frank Zappa and Western legends
Why today’s fast-paced world is changing how we experience music
The importance of humility, discipline, and lifelong learning
Filmed during wartime Kyiv, this conversation is also about something deeper — how music connects cultures, carries memory, and offers a path toward peace.
“If you serve music, music will serve you.” — L. Shankar
Independent journalism is under direct pressure — and tonight we break down why.
Veteran White House reporter Brian Karem, who has covered the press room since the Reagan era, joins Chris Sampson from Kyiv to discuss the escalating confrontation between political power and the American press.
From threats against media outlets to the weaponization of information, the conversation explores how the relationship between the White House and journalists has changed — and why it matters now more than ever.
Topics covered in this conversation include:
• Trump’s attacks on journalists and accusations of “treason” against the press
• The growing pressure campaign against major news organizations
• The role of corporate media consolidation and media monopolies
• Why independent journalism is becoming essential to democratic accountability
• The risks of escalating war with Iran and the broader geopolitical consequences
• The connection between information warfare, propaganda, and modern conflict
• Lessons from decades inside the White House briefing room
Crimean artist and musician Aziza Eskender joins journalist Chris Sampson on The Wire Tap for a conversation about art, identity, and culture during wartime. Aziza is known for her striking visual artwork and powerful voice as a performer. In this discussion she speaks about her creative journey, the role of culture during war, and what it means to preserve identity while Ukraine continues its fight for survival. The conversation explores the intersection of Crimean Tatar culture, music, visual art, and resilience, as well as the responsibility artists feel when their homeland is under occupation. Topics discussed include: • Aziza Eskender’s journey as a Crimean artist and musician • The influence of Crimean Tatar culture on her work • Art as resistance during war • The role of artists in times of conflict • Ukraine’s cultural identity under Russian aggression • Music, voice, and storytelling as forms of survival Through music, art, and conversation, this episode highlights how culture becomes a form of resistance and remembrance during war.
What really happens inside Russian captivity? In this episode of The Wire Tap, journalist Chris Sampson speaks with Shaun Pinner, a British-Ukrainian marine and veteran who was captured during the battle for Mariupol in 2022 and later released in a prisoner exchange. Pinner describes the brutal realities of capture, interrogation, and survival under Russian forces — including electrocution, psychological pressure, and the moment he realized that survival depended on controlling his mindset. Drawing on his SERE training (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) and years of military experience, Pinner explains the stages of captivity, how prisoners survive interrogation, and the mental techniques that helped him endure. The conversation also examines the broader context of the war in Ukraine, Russian tactics against prisoners, and why understanding captivity matters for soldiers, civilians, and anyone facing extreme stress. Topics discussed include: • The fall of Mariupol and Pinner’s capture • Russian interrogation and torture methods • Survival psychology and resistance training • Lessons from SERE training • Propaganda, prisoners of war, and psychological warfare • Why resilience matters in both war and everyday life This is one of the most detailed firsthand accounts of Russian captivity during the war in Ukraine. Host: Chris Sampson — The Wire Tap / NatSecMedia Guest: Shaun Pinner — Voices From The Front
In this powerful and unfiltered conversation, Capitol Police Officer Daniel Hodges joins The Wire Tap to recount his experience on January 6—what he saw, what he endured, and why he continues to speak out.
From the brutal tunnel fight inside the Capitol to the long aftermath of injuries, testimony, and political fallout, Hodges walks us through the reality behind one of the most consequential days in modern American history. This is not a retelling from a distance—this is a firsthand account from the front line.
We discuss:
The buildup to January 6 and warning signs that were missed
What it was like to be outnumbered and under attack
The now-famous tunnel fight and the moment he thought he might die
The physical and psychological aftermath
Why many officers stayed silent—and why he didn’t
Congressional hearings, trials, and accountability
Trump’s return to power and the impact of mass pardons
What defending democracy actually looks like in practice
In this powerful interview, Ukrainian journalist Chris Sampson speaks with Leniie Umerova, a Crimean Tatar activist who spent nearly two years in Russian captivity after attempting to visit her sick father in occupied Crimea. Detained at the Russian border, falsely accused of espionage, and held in multiple prisons—including Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo prison—Umerova endured interrogation, isolation, and psychological pressure before finally being released in a prisoner exchange. In this conversation she shares: • The history of the Crimean Tatar people and the legacy of Stalin’s deportations • What happened during Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014 • Her arrest and interrogation by Russian security forces • Life inside Russian detention centers and political prisons • Stories of other Ukrainian civilians still imprisoned by Russia • Why Crimea is about people, not territory • How letters from strangers around the world kept prisoners alive with hope
From the courtroom battles that triggered a presidential impeachment to the front lines of America’s constitutional crisis — national security attorney, whistleblower champion, and the man Donald Trump called a sleazeball, Mark Zaid joins us live.
Zaid has spent 30 years building the legal architecture that holds governments accountable — and the last two watching Trump try to demolish it piece by piece. He sued. He won. He’s still fighting.
Join us for Due Process: In the Age of Trump with @MarkSZaidEsq — 11PM Kyiv / 4PM EST / 3PM CST — live on The Wire Tap on Substack.
The rule of law is under assault. Come find out what’s left standing.
Tonight on The Wire Tap: From the cockpit of a Blackhawk helicopter over Iraq to the front lines of American democracy — Army combat veteran, West Point and Harvard graduate, former Lincoln Project Executive Director, and Missouri Congressional candidate Fred Wellman joins us live.
Wellman is taking on entrenched Republican incumbent Ann Wagner in Missouri’s 2nd District with a simple mission: restore integrity to Congress and put working families first. Can a battle-tested veteran flip a Trump-won district? We think so. Join us for Restoring Integrity to Congress with @FPWellman — 7PM Kyiv / 12PM EST / 11AM CST — live on The Wire Tap on Substack. Flipping Missouri is a mission. Come join us.
From the Proud Boys archives to 15 hours a week inside the Fox News machine — researcher, journalist, and one-woman intelligence operation Juliet Jeske joins us live.
Jeske has been systematically documenting Fox News’s full broadcast output since February 2022. Not clipping the viral moments. Watching the whole thing. Building the longitudinal record of how America’s dominant cable news network constructs a parallel reality for millions of people — week after week, without pause, without institutional backing.
Join us for Decoding Fox News with Juliet Jeske — 11PM Kyiv / 4PM EST / 3PM CST — Wednesday, March 4, 2026 — live on The Wire Tap on Substack.
Somebody has to watch it. She does. Come find out what she’s seeing.
On November 15, 2025, on Kyiv’s Sofiia Square, Ukrainian PEN and the Center for Civil Liberties held the annual Empty Chairs action to honor journalists, writers, and human rights defenders who have been disappeared, imprisoned, or killed by Russia’s war. For the first time, former captive UNIAN journalist Dmytro Khyliuk spoke in person, reflecting on how his own name once appeared on one of those empty chairs. In this video, he calls on the world to use publicity and pressure to help bring Ukraine’s civilian hostages home.
THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE
Since essentially January 2022, I have lived exclusively Ukraine to document the war, the people, the history and culture and music of the country. It has been a humbling experience and it is far from over. Thank you to all of those people who supported the efforts to document and bring aid. The in country experiences and friendships will be with me forever. The support from abroad has been invaluable. We have so much more to do.
Your donation helps cover costs to travel, help Ukrainian fixers and translators and have more direct access to the news in country. We will not rely upon advertisements and or gimmicks to get the job done. Your help keeps us focused on the tasks. Thank you.
The Silence That Shapes the War: What Steven Moore Won’t Name About Trump’s Betrayal of Ukraine
While I am thankful for Steven Moore’s apparent support for Ukraine, I can’t let dishonesty by omission go unchecked. His recent article criticizing European hesitancy
The $58 Billion They Don’t Want You to Know About: How MAGA Republicans Voted Against Your Paycheck
The $58 Billion They Don’t Want You to Know About: How MAGA Republicans Voted Against Your Paycheck Ukraine aid isn’t foreign charity—it’s the biggest domestic
A Man Without a Mandate: The Legal Case That Steve Witkoff Cannot Lawfully Represent the United States—Or Ukraine
A Man Without a Mandate: The Legal Case That Steve Witkoff Cannot Lawfully Represent the United States—Or Ukraine The Shadow Diplomacy the Founders Warned about
RUSSIA'S LT GEN FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS KILLED IN MOSCOW
As 2025 arrives on us, Russia continues to show you that it will not let up in attacking and seeking to conquer Ukraine. More important, the Russians are seeking to undermine America and Europe by its repeated attacks on Ukraine. Without a more decisive determination from the American, European and Canadian population and thus the representative leadership, Russia will continue to kill and destroy as it seeks to crawl back to its supposed glory of the Soviet Union and Russian empire, no matter how many must die.
Ukraine Successfully Intercepts Ballistic Missiles and Drones in Overnight Attack
Ukrainian defense forces reported the interception of five ballistic missiles and 40 drones during an overnight assault that began at 7:00 PM on December 19 and continued into the early hours of December 20, 2024. The attack, launched by Russian forces, involved an “Iskander-M” ballistic missile from the Rostov region, guided X-59/69 missiles from the Kursk region, and 65 strike drones, including “Shahed” models, originating from multiple areas, including Bryansk, Millerovo, Orel, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk.
Ukraine’s response included contributions from aviation, anti-aircraft missile units, electronic warfare teams, and mobile defense groups. By 9:30 AM, air defense systems had confirmed the destruction of 40 drones across several regions, including Kursk, Poltava, Sumy, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia. Additionally, 20 drones, identified as decoys, failed to reach their targets.
Despite these efforts, missile debris caused localized damage in Kyiv, where five districts reported destruction to residential buildings, medical facilities, and other structures. Casualties were also confirmed.
The Ukrainian military emphasized the importance of public vigilance and urged citizens to heed air raid warnings promptly, noting the limited time available to seek shelter during ballistic missile attacks.
MUSIC-THE HEART OF A NATION: A journey through the music of Ukraine
You can know a people through the music they play, dance to, celebrate with and mourn those who pass. Ukraine has a vibrant music tradition and the path across the country is loaded with variety and expression.
CRISIS IN UKRAINE: PART TWO - A day in Bucha: First hand account of atrocities in Ukraine
Days after the Russians invaded Ukraine, they descended upon the small town of Bucha, just west of the capital, Kyiv. For weeks the battle ensued in the town until the Russian forces withdrew on March 31, 2022. The Russians were under command of Gennady Bayur, commander of the VDV’s 234th Air Assault Regiment. Like many other commanders in this war, he died just days later in Bucha on March 11, 2022. The Russian digital sphere said he died of a land mine, but we may never know.
ATTACKS ON DEMOCRACY
BEFORE THE JANUARY 6, 2020 Insurrection:
On Tuesday, September 8, 2020, Katy Tur spoke with former FBI Special Agent Frank Figliuzzi and Chris Sampson about the pending threats around the 2020 Election. Online chatter and real world comments indicate there is a serious threat of retribution if Trump legitimately loses the election. As Trump consistently tells his supporters there is only one way he’d lose, rigged and stolen election, his supporters then feel no other possibility exists. This has created an unparalleled threat problem with talk of violence.
ORDER NOW
ALSO AVAILABLE
PUTIN’S ASYMMETRIC ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY IN RUSSIA AND EUROPE: Implications for U.S. National Security
In Putin’s Asymmetric Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe, we learn about Vladimir Putin’s rise to power through the KGB to mayor of St. Petersburg and eventually as head of the Russian state. We discover the history of how Putin used classic Cold War KGB tactics by weaponizing civil society, culture, ideology, and Russia’s criminal element against the nascent Russian democracy by cultivating and using ties to NGOs, thinktanks, extremist political groups, the Russian orthodox church, industrial and energy policy, and the Russian Mafia. We also see how the Kremlin then exported this political extortion, intimidation, and monetary corruption first to its Eastern European neighbors, then their western partners in the European Union, and how it has now landed on America’s shores.
