State and Local Officials Webinar: Critical Minerals From the Ground Up
Heidi Crebo‑Rediker of the Council on Foreign Relations presented findings from her report “Leapfrogging China’s Critical Minerals Dominance,” highlighting the national‑security risks of relying on China for rare earths, lithium and other critical minerals. She outlined policy levers—tax incentives, R&D funding and streamlined permitting—to boost domestic processing and manufacturing. Tom Burns, Nevada’s economic development chief, detailed the state’s multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar infrastructure investments aimed at creating a home‑grown supply chain. Together, the briefing underscored a coordinated push to secure U.S. economic and defense priorities.
China to Spend $400 Billion on Robotics in 2026, the U.S.’s CHIPS Act Spent $50 Billion over Years
China plans to allocate roughly $400 billion to its robotics sector in 2026, dwarfing the U.S. CHIPS Act’s cumulative $50 billion investment. In 2024 Chinese factories installed about 300,000 new industrial robots, compared with just 30,000 in American plants. The country now...
Are Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems Compatible with International Law?
The Council on Foreign Relations hosted a discussion on whether lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) can meet the international law principle of distinction, which requires separating civilians from combatants. Experts questioned if machines operating without human control can reliably make...
How Did the Japanese PM Take Trump’s Pearl Harbor Comment?
President Donald Trump’s off‑the‑cuff reference to Japan’s Pearl Harbor attack during a recent summit ignited a flurry of social‑media commentary and raised questions about diplomatic decorum. The remark, framed as a joke about “surprise,” was unprecedented in U.S.–Japan interactions and...
Allied Manufacturing Could Counter China’s Dominance in Robotics
Rush Doshi of the Council on Foreign Relations argues that the United States cannot out‑manufacture China in robotics on its own. He proposes a coalition of American and allied manufacturers—particularly Europe, Japan, and South Korea—to collectively exceed China’s scale. The...
Is There Still Bipartisan Consensus on China?
The video examines whether the once‑clear bipartisan agreement that China is the United States’ primary pacing threat still holds under the new administration. Early in the Biden era, both Democrats and Republicans in the national‑security establishment publicly affirmed a unified...
Why Allies Aren’t Following on Iran | The President’s Inbox
The President’s Inbox examined President Trump’s demand that allies help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after Iran’s missile strikes shut the waterway, a chokepoint through which one‑fifth of global oil flows. While the United States frames the operation as...
Can Trump Carry Out Regime Change in Cuba?
President Donald Trump claimed he could do anything with Cuba, sparking debate over the feasibility of U.S.-backed regime change. Cuba is entrenched in a deep economic crisis, with shortages and a stagnant GDP exacerbating public discontent. Yet the island has...
Government Media Shouldn’t Compete with CNN or Fox News, Says Sebastian Gorka
Sebastian Gorka, a senior counterterrorism official on the National Security Council, argued that U.S. government‑funded media should not vie with commercial outlets like CNN or Fox News. He urged that taxpayer money be directed toward agencies such as the Agency...
Surveying America: What Do People Really Think About Tariffs?
The Council on Foreign Relations and Morning Consult released a national survey probing American attitudes toward tariffs and trade policy. Findings reveal that most respondents misunderstand who actually pays for tariffs, while partisan and generational divides shape views on costs,...
The Iran War Is Revealing U.S. Military Weaknesses to China and Russia
The video examines how the Iran‑Israel conflict is exposing American military shortcomings that Beijing, Moscow and Pyongyang are keenly observing. While U.S. air superiority and real‑time intelligence proved decisive, the discussion highlights deeper structural gaps. The analyst points to three critical...
What Is the U.S. Trying to Accomplish in the Iran War?
The video examines the United States’ evolving goals in the three‑week Operation Epic Fury against Iran, highlighting the lack of a single, coherent objective. President Trump has floated regime change, unconditional surrender, and even a street‑level revolution, while the Pentagon repeatedly...
Joe Kent’s Resignation: Sebastian Gorka Responds
The video centers on former congressional candidate Joe Kent’s abrupt resignation letter, in which he alleged that the United States entered the current war under pressure from Israel and its American lobby and claimed Iran posed no immediate threat. Sebastian...
10 Worst U.S Foreign Policy Decisions: The Invasion of Iraq, 2003
The video examines the 2003 invasion of Iraq as one of the United States’ worst foreign‑policy choices, as identified by historians specializing in American diplomatic history. It situates the decision in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, when fears that...
Oil Prices Could ‘Lead to Something Close to a Recession,’ Says Expert
The video features an energy market expert warning that a $30‑per‑barrel jump in crude prices could push the global economy toward a recession‑like slowdown. The analyst frames the current oil shock as a “balanced probability” between a prolonged period of...
What Is the U.S. and Israel’s Goal in Lebanon?
The video discusses the United States and Israel’s strategic objective in Lebanon: establishing a fully sovereign Lebanese government that can govern without Hezbollah’s dominance. The plan calls for the Lebanese army to drive Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River...
Wealth of Nations: Do Free Markets Need Empathy?
The latest episode of The Spillover, titled “Wealth of Nations: do free markets need empathy?,” features CFR senior fellow Sebastian Mallaby discussing the nuanced role of empathy in market systems. Mallaby argues that market behavior is neither purely altruistic nor...
How a Weakened Iran Can Still Claim Success
Ray Takeyh, a Council on Foreign Relations Iran specialist, argues that both the United States and Iran can claim plausible success after recent confrontations. The U.S. narrative emphasizes degrading Iran’s proxy networks, conventional forces, and nuclear infrastructure while eliminating senior...
What's Next for Trade and Tariffs?
Panelists from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Peterson Institute examined the latest shifts in U.S. trade policy, noting a modest easing of tariffs on Chinese goods and a renewed focus on supply‑chain resilience. They highlighted the administration’s push...
America at 250: The Lend-Lease Act, With Lynne Olson
The Council on Foreign Relations released a podcast episode titled “America at 250: The Lend‑Lease Act, With Lynne Olson,” where historian Lynne Olson discusses the 1941 Lend‑Lease Act and the fierce domestic political battles that paved the way for U.S....
The Wealth of Nations Turns 250 + Free Markets Face Off Against Industrial Policy | The Spillover
On its 250th anniversary, Adam Smith’s *The Wealth of Nations* is revisited to assess its enduring influence on economic thought. The episode highlights how specialization and global trade, as Smith argued, continue to drive prosperity when competition is framed by...
Ukraine Will Produce 4 Million Military Drones This Year
Ukraine announced a goal to manufacture four million military drones in 2024, dramatically expanding its unmanned‑air capabilities. The surge aims to replace foreign‑sourced components with domestically produced systems, bolstering supply chain resilience. Experts say one‑way attack drones now account for...
Building National Security Capacity and Policy: A Conversation With Christine Wormuth
Christine Wormuth, CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, discussed strategies for strengthening national security capacity with CFR senior fellow Linda Robinson. The conversation highlighted the critical role of public‑private partnerships, workforce development, and integrating emerging technologies into policy. Wormuth urged...
The Trump Administration’s ‘3-Pronged Approach’ to Military Operations
The video outlines the Trump administration’s three‑pronged strategy for U.S. military operations, centering on a massive $1.5 trillion defense budget, a declared national mobilization, and deeper burden‑sharing with allies. It frames these moves as a direct response to emerging global threats...
Has the U.S. ‘Gone Soft’ on China?
Elbridge Colby, the State Department’s under secretary for policy, dismissed the narrative that the United States has softened its stance toward China under President Trump. He argued that Washington maintains a clear set of objectives that reflect American interests and...
How the U.S. Views Europe’s Extended Nuclear Deterrence Strategy
The video features a senior U.S. Department of Defense official discussing how Washington views Europe’s expanding role in NATO’s extended nuclear deterrence, referencing the long‑standing Ottawa and summit declarations that the United Kingdom and France’s independent nuclear forces bolster alliance...
What Is the U.S. Military’s Goal in Iran?
Operation Epic Fury is the United States’ newly announced military campaign aimed at degrading the Islamic Republic of Iran’s capacity to project power across the Middle East. President‑directed, the effort concentrates on dismantling Iran’s missile programs, one‑way attack drones, and...
CFR Educators Workshop: The United States in Focus
The Council on Foreign Relations hosted an Educators Workshop titled “The United States in Focus,” featuring Bruce Hoffman, Zongyuan Zoe Liu, and Shannon K. O’Neil. Hoffman addressed evolving homeland security and counterterrorism challenges, Liu analyzed the economic dimensions of U.S.-China...
U.S. and Israel Strike Iran
President Trump announced a coordinated strike campaign against Iran, targeting its ballistic missile facilities, nuclear program, and key leadership sites. The Israeli armed forces joined the operation, reportedly hitting Ayatollah Khamenei's compound. Experts from the Council on Foreign Relations warned...
CFR President Emeritus Richard Haass on Preventing Radicalism
Richard Haass, president‑emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, warned that humiliation can push individuals toward extreme actions. He cited the ongoing crises in Gaza and the West Bank as examples where perceived humiliation fuels radicalism. Haass argued that current...
How Has Cuban Migration Affected the Outlook for Protests in the Country?
The 2021 mass protests in Cuba triggered a wave of migration, with many citizens choosing to leave the island rather than continue dissent. Experts, including Michael Bustamante of the University of Miami, argue that the exodus reflects a belief that...
The Anthropic-Pentagon Ultimatum Approaches
The Council on Foreign Relations expert Michael Horowitz warns that Anthropic and the Pentagon are at an impasse. Anthropic doubts the government will deploy its AI responsibly, while the Pentagon questions Anthropic's commitment to national‑security applications. Horowitz frames the standoff...
The Iranian Regime Is More Resilient than Washington Might Think
Ray Takeyh, a Council on Foreign Relations Iran specialist, argues that the recent Iranian uprising actually reinforced the Islamic Republic’s strength rather than weakening it. He notes that successful revolts require defections from security forces and dissent among the political...
A Conversation With John Jovanovic
John Jovanovic, President and Chairman of the Export‑Import Bank of the United States, outlined the agency’s strategy to boost American exporters and manufacturers overseas while reinforcing domestic supply chains. He highlighted EXIM’s financing tools that level the playing field against...
Cuba on the Brink, With Michael Bustamante
In a recent episode of The President’s Inbox, Michael Bustamante, Chair in Cuban and Cuban‑American Studies at the University of Miami, examined the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Cuba. The discussion highlighted how travel bans, remittance restrictions, and tightened...
How I Got My Career in Foreign Policy: Michael Froman
In a candid conversation, former U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman traces a winding path from childhood astronaut dreams to a lifelong career in foreign policy, sparked by a gap‑year encounter with presidential candidates in the early 1980s. After abandoning...
The New Saudi Strategy, With F. Gregory Gause III
The interview with F. Gregory Gause III explores Saudi Arabia’s evolving strategy under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). After King Salman relinquished the prime‑ministership in 2022, MBS effectively became the kingdom’s sole decision‑maker, ending the historic consensus‑driven model...
