Best Counterintelligence Podcasts (2025)

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The Man Behind John le Carré 38:12

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18h ago38:12

38:12

John le Carré, born David Cornwell in 1931, was a British novelist renowned for his morally complex spy fiction. Writing under a pen name gave him the freedom to publish while he worked in both MI5 and MI6, but after the breakthrough success of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, he left the intel community world for good. Le Carré’s work spanned th…

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True Spies Debrief: Anthony Vinci on the Fourth Intelligence Revolution 53:04

1d ago53:04

53:04

Anthony Vinci is a former DIA case officer who went on to serve at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency before entering the private sector. His new book, The Fourth Intelligence Revolution, bridges the divide between the intelligence community and the tech world. Anthony spoke with True Spies producer Morgan Childs about why this new era put…

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Bondi Beach Attack: Deep Dive 33:24

3d ago33:24

33:24

Send us a text 🔥 Bondi Beach Attack: Deep Dive | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — delivers a deep-dive intelligence analysis into one of the most devastating terrorist attacks in Australia in…

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Crisis Response Canine Hangs Up His Harness 16:57

5d ago16:57

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On this installment of the Inside the FBI Podcast, we're revisiting an archival episode to learn how Gio and his crisis response canine colleagues provide vital support to the Bureau’s mission. For a full transcript and additional resources, visit fbi.gov/podcasts. You can also visit fbi.gov/gio to learn more about his storied career and impact on …

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Inside Operation Odyssey Lightning in Libya 34:52

8d ago34:52

34:52

From August to December 2016, then Marine Special Operations Officer Ivan Ingraham lived on an assault ship off the coast of Sirte, a city in northern Libya that lies between Tripoli and Benghazi. It was the hometown of Muammar Gaddafi, who invested in Sirte before dying there during Libya’s first civil war. In the midst of a second civil war, ISIS…

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The Wireless Operator, Part Two: The Derber Method | Historical 47:28

8d ago47:28

47:28

When Dr David Tuch started investigating his family tree, he found much more than he bargained for. A distant cousin. A sailor. A man who led a life of adventure - and changed the world of crime forever. In Part One of this True Spies story, you'll meet him too - and discover the first steps on a dark, dangerous and fascinating journey. Dr. David T…

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Canadian Military Intelligence Compromised? 36:11

11d ago36:11

36:11

Send us a text 🇨🇦🕵️ Canadian Military Intelligence Compromised? | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — examines a series of developments that reveal how insider threats, espionage, hybrid warfare…

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Violent Online Networks 13:07

12d ago13:07

13:07

On this episode of the Inside the FBI Podcast, we’ll break down the threat posed by violent online networks, tell you how to recognize the signs that a you or a loved one may be one of their targets, and teach you how to report this crime to the proper authorities. For a full transcript and additional resources, visit fbi.gov/podcasts. And if you'r…

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True Spies - Brief Histories: Double Agents 28:31

13d ago28:31

28:31

From ancient Babylon to the darkest depths of the Cold War, Double Agents have fascinated us for centuries. In Brief Histories, the monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of stories and expert knowledge from our archive. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills…

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Auctioning Off the Key to Kryptos 27:37

15d ago27:37

27:37

At the CIA headquarters in Langley, you will find Kryptos, a large curved copper panel that holds the letters to four encrypted messages. The first three messages- K1, K2, and K3- were solved in the nineties, but K4 continued to mystify cryptographers for decades. That is until Jim Sanborn, the artist who created Kryptos, decided to auction off the…

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The Wireless Operator, Part One: The Trouble With Hyman | Historical 53:30

15d ago53:30

53:30

When Dr David Tuch started investigating his family tree, he found much more than he bargained for. A distant cousin. A sailor. A man who led a life of adventure - and changed the world of crime forever. In Part One of this True Spies story, you'll meet him too - and discover the first steps on a dark, dangerous and fascinating journey. Dr. David T…

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Canadian ISIS Terrorist Convicted 23:52

18d ago23:52

23:52

Send us a text 🇨🇦🔥 Canadian ISIS Terrorist Convicted | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — breaks down a dramatic week of national-security developments that span espionage, terrorism, hybrid wa…

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An Interview with the CIA’s Former “Q” 35:04

22d ago35:04

35:04

Bob Wallace was appointed Deputy Director of the CIA’s Office of Technical Service in 1995 and became its director three years later. In other words, he was the CIA’s “Q.” The storied office dealt in microdots and secret writing, creating innovations that spanned concealments, forged documents, surveillance equipment, covert communications, and spe…

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True Spies Classic: The Money Spy | FSB 33:36

22d ago33:36

33:36

How do you flee your country and join the other side? In this classic episode of True Spies, a former Russian intelligence agent gives Vanessa Kirby a rare masterclass in international tradecraft. Janosh Neumann fled Moscow armed only with his wits, a suitcase and the names of Russia's most influential money launderers, to begin a dangerous journey…

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Operation Not Forgotten 6:31

29d ago6:31

6:31

On this episode of the Inside the FBI Podcast, we’ll learn about this year’s iteration of Operation Not Forgotten and connect you with resources about our efforts to investigate violent crimes and other federal offenses committed in Indian Country. For a full transcript and additional resources, visit fbi.gov/podcasts. You can visit fbi.gov/indianc…

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Inside the CIA’s Book Club Designed to Bring Down Communism 33:17

29d ago33:17

33:17

The CIA’s book club, known by the codename QRHELPFUL, was a secret 35-year program born of the fear that communism would dominate the globe. About 10 million books were smuggled into the Soviet Union during the Cold War, transported by trucks and yachts, in tins and luggage, and even dropped from balloons. The agency believed that the literature co…

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True Spies Debriefs: Dr Amy Zegart on Entertainment, Policy and AI 37:07

29d ago37:07

37:07

Dr Amy Zegart works to bridge the divide between the worlds of policy and tech. In this Debrief, True Spies producer Morgan Childs joins Dr. Zegart To hear her thoughts on spy entertainment, espionage in the age of AI, and the future of American intelligence policy. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: J…

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Is Canada Safe? Inside CSIS Director's Speech. 35:29

1M ago35:29

35:29

Send us a text 🔍🇨🇦 Is Canada Safe? Inside CSIS Director’s Speech | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — breaks down one of the most significant national-security weeks in recent memory. From a BB…

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The Hunt for China’s Spy Family 38:32

1M ago38:32

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For decades, California-based engineer Chi Mak quietly stole secrets on war-fighting technologies. He and his family members shared the intelligence with spies in China, giving Beijing astounding insights they hadn’t earned. Former FBI Special Agent James Gaylord takes us back to the elaborate investigation in 2004. Evidence gathered by his squad, …

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The Drunk in Department V | KGB 46:30

1M ago46:30

46:30

Author and filmmaker Richard Kerbaj tells the story of Oleg Lyalin - the hard-living, womanising KGB officer whose defection changed the course of the Cold War, and shaped the future of intelligence agencies on both sides of the Atlantic. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bo…

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Fighting Transnational Organized Crime 16:54

1M ago16:54

16:54

As part of "Your FBI: Crushing Violent Crime"—a campaign highlighting the people, partners, and mission of Your FBI and our ongoing work to dismantle violent crime and keep our communities safe—we're revisiting an archival episode of the Inside the FBI Podcast about why and how the Bureau investigates transnational organized crime. For a full trans…

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True Spies - Brief Histories: Spychology 29:15

1M ago29:15

29:15

From the writing of Sun Tzu to the modern era, spies and spymasters have had insights into the mind that most of us don't. Now it's time to put espionage itself on the analysts' couch. In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of stories and…

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A Family of Spies and a Bloodline of Secrets 34:04

1M ago34:04

34:04

No other American has a family history quite like Christine Kuehn. Through years of doing painstaking interviews, hunting down letters, and pouring through FBI records, Christine learned that her German-born aunt had a fling with Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels. When he found out she was half-Jewish, Goebbels sent the family to Hawaii to spy. After…

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True Spies Classic: The Limping Lady | WW2 43:54

1M ago43:54

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In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby goes behind enemy lines with Virginia Hall, one of the bravest Allied heroines of WWII. As part of ‘Churchill's Secret Army’, Virginia was sent into occupied France to organize resistance efforts and disrupt Nazi plans ‘by any means necessary’. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. Featu…

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From the SpyCast Vault: The Lumumba Plot and The Station Chief's Story 30:35

2M ago30:35

30:35

In our last episode, author Stuart Reid peeled back the curtain on 'The Lumumba Plot,' the CIA’s plan to assassinate Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically-elected Prime Minister of the Congo. Station Chief Larry Devlin was central to the CIA’s 1960 assassination plot. He never had to carry it out, but Lumumba was later killed in another plot th…

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True Spies Debriefs: David McCloskey On His Life After Espionage 31:55

2M ago31:55

31:55

True Spies producer Morgan Childs joins former CIA analyst, author and podcast host David McCloskey for a deep dive into his post-Agency career, and what he's learned along the way. David McCloskey's latest novel, The Persian, is out now. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan…

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Sex Spies Invade Silicon Valley 23:50

2M ago23:50

23:50

Send us a text 🔍 Sex Spies Invade Silicon Valley | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — explores how espionage, seduction, and psychological warfare are colliding in the heart of the global tech …

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The Lumumba Plot: Cold War in the Congo 34:47

2M ago34:47

34:47

The Congo was just gaining its independence from Belgium in 1960 when its first democratically elected leader, Patrice Lumumba, faced an existential crisis: mutiny in his new army, followed by an unwelcome intervention by Belgian forces. Lumumba had hoped the U.S. would help, but when Washington turned its back, Lumumba turned to Moscow. And so beg…

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The Many Lives of Agent Zo | WW2 1:01:48

2M ago1:01:48

1:01:48

Author Clare Mulley has built her formidable reputation on finding the remarkable stories that have been left out of the history books. This is one of them - the remarkable, heartstopping story of Elzbieta Zawacka, AKA Agent Zo, legend of the Polish resistance. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Fo…

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Canada's Cyber Defences Under Fire 34:25

2M ago34:25

34:25

Send us a text 🔍 Canada’s Cyber Defences Under Fire | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — examines how espionage, sabotage, and cyber warfare are converging to test the resilience of Western dem…

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Homeland Security Task Forces 10:25

2M ago10:25

10:25

On this episode of our podcast, we’ll explain how and why Homeland Security Task Forces came to be. We’ll also define their unique tasking and explain why their work is vital to crushing violent crime and protecting the homeland from the threat of terrorism. For a full transcript and additional resources, visit fbi.gov/podcasts. This episode is par…

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True Spies - Brief Histories: Counterintelligence 25:48

2M ago25:48

25:48

From the lagoon of Venice to revolutionary Russia, counterintelligence has always been an important aspect of statecraft. In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of stories and expert knowledge from our archive. From SPYSCAPE, the home of …

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Russian Sabotage Operations and NATO’s Complex Alliance 29:58

2M ago29:58

29:58

Russian drones and warplanes have been increasingly breaching the airspace of NATO countries. Admiral Joachim Rühle, (ret.) is the former Chief of Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, the headquarters of Command Operations - including defense, deterrence, and training to Ukrainians - in Belgium. He talked about Moscow’s incursion…

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True Spies Classic: The Spy In The Cornfield | FBI 46:40

2M ago46:40

46:40

In the golden cornfields of rural Iowa, mysterious men are stealing seeds. Corn is big business - and the secret of growing good corn is priceless intellectual property. But is this a simple case of corporate theft, or foreign espionage in a vital strategic battle between nations? Vanessa Kirby joins Special Agent Mark Betten, FBI, on his mission t…

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Chinese Espionage Targets Hydro Quebec 32:07

2M ago32:07

32:07

Send us a text 🔍 Chinese Espionage Targets Hydro-Québec | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — examines how espionage, secrecy, and accountability are colliding across the intelligence world. 🇨🇦 …

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Opening the Foreign Influence Toolkit 32:42

2M ago32:42

32:42

Jessica Brandt knows a lot about influence. She was the director of the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which served as intermediary between the U.S. intelligence community and the public. It alerted private citizens and the public to disinformation operations orchestrated by adversaries overseas. Jessica explains how the toolkit has gotten larger…

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True Spies Debriefs: Brett Janis on Economic Intelligence 29:39

2M ago29:39

29:39

This time on the Debrief, Morgan Childs joins former CIA economic analyst Brett Janis to discuss the Agency's role in monitoring global financial trends, Ukraine, and the future of the USA's place at the heart of the world economy. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs…

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Chasing Chi, Part Two: One Man's Trash... | FBI 40:59

3M ago40:59

40:59

By SPYSCAPE

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Terrorist Attack on Synagogue in UK. 28:54

3M ago28:54

28:54

Send us a text 🚨🌍 This week on the Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up 🎙️ From London to Manchester, Berlin to Ottawa, the headlines tell a chilling story: espionage, sabotage, foreign interference, and terrorism are no longer distant threats — they are reshaping our democracies right now. ⚖️ In the UK, Crown Prosecutors made history by charging a C…

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Operation Summer Heat 9:15

3M ago9:15

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On this episode of the Inside the FBI Podcast, we'll share the story behind Operation Summer Heat, a nationwide initiative that aimed to get the worst of the worst violent offenders off American streets and to seize illegal weapons and drugs flowing through our communities, with the ultimate goal of restoring safety to neighborhoods across the Unit…

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True Spies - Brief Histories: Women in Espionage 28:12

3M ago28:12

28:12

NEW from True Spies: Brief Histories. From 7th Century China to Nazi-occupied France, discover a selection of stories from the long history of female spies. In Brief Histories, the new monthly special from True Spies, series producer Joe Foley is your guide to this secret world - alongside a treasure-trove of expert knowledge from our archive. From…

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From the SpyCast Vault: An Assassination in Mexico 30:46

3M ago30:46

30:46

Keith Melton is a historian who’s been an advisor to the US Intelligence Community for decades. An avid collector and board member at The International Spy Museum, Keith has donated thousands of artifacts, and one of the most historically important is the axe used to assassinate Leon Trotsky. Keith found the weapon after decades of searching. In 20…

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Chasing Chi, Part One: The Engineer | FBI 44:38

3M ago44:38

44:38

By 2004, FBI Special Agent Jim Gaylord has seen a lot of counterintelligence operations go right. But he's also seen plenty go wrong, especially when it comes to the People's Republic of China. But now, he has a chance to take down one of China's most prolific collectors of US military tech - and he's determined to take it. In Part One, Jim sets ou…

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MI6 Goes Dark with Recruiting Spies 27:01

3M ago27:01

27:01

Send us a text MI6 Goes Dark with Recruiting Spies | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up Espionage is evolving fast — and this week’s episode of Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up takes you inside the latest threats and innovations shaking the intelligence world. From MI6’s bold leap into the dark web with its Silent Courier spy recruitment portal, …

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The Dark Web Broker 35:42

3M ago35:42

35:42

Vinny Troia is at home on the Dark Web. The veteran hacker has developed relationships with cyberactors who have quietly stolen sensitive data from the far corners of the world. Vinny sells that data to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, like the CIA. His book, Grey Area: Dark Web Data Collection and the Future of OSINT, is out this October…

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True Spies Classic: Blood on the Waterside | MI5 48:04

3M ago48:04

48:04

In this classic episode of True Spies, Vanessa Kirby meets a spy who infiltrated the political wing of the Irish Republican movement. Willie Carlin risked his life in Derry, Northern Ireland, on a daily basis to provide the UK with intelligence. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby…

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Russian Spies Arrested in England 33:27

3M ago33:27

33:27

Send us a text Russian Spies Arrested in England | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap Up Welcome to the Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap Up—the podcast where intelligence meets real-world events. This week, Neil Bisson, Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network and a retired CSIS Intelligence Officer, takes you inside the latest development…

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To Catch a Drug Cartel 28:33

3M ago28:33

28:33

Keith Bulfin was a banker, not a spy. But then came a special client–a supposed coffee importer who was actually a banker for Mexican and Colombian drug cartels. Soon, U.S. authorities were knocking on Keith’s door. He ended up behind bars in a maximum security prison. While in prison, Bulfin ended up befriending leaders of drug cartels and eventua…

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The Secret Policeman | MI6 1:08:49

3M ago1:08:49

1:08:49

Lawyer and intelligence historian David Burke reveals a shadowy chapter in the story of Anglo-Irish relations in the 20th century. Irish police intelligence analyst Patrick Crinnion was a man of rare intelligence. He had also been groomed from a young age to spy for the United Kingdom. When the Troubles in Northern Ireland broke out, he was feeding…

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Operation Restore Justice 7:03

3M ago7:03

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On this episode of the Inside the FBI Podcast, we’ll discuss the results of Operation Restore Justice—a first-of-its-kind effort—and its significance in our long-term fight to protect children from the threat of violent crime. This episode is part of "Your FBI: Crushing Violent Crime," a campaign highlighting the people, partners, and mission of Yo…