CFR and Berkley Center Webinar: The Future of Strategic Religious Engagement in U.S. Foreign Policy
The Council on Foreign Relations and Georgetown University's Berkeley Center hosted a webinar to assess the future of strategic religious engagement (SRE) in U.S. foreign policy, noting that recent administrative changes have stripped the government of dedicated capacity to work with faith actors. Panelists traced SRE’s evolution from early U.S. Institute of Peace initiatives in the 1980s, through USAID’s 2002 Faith‑Based Center, the 2013 White House NSC strategy, and the landmark 2023 agency‑wide SRE policy, before highlighting the dismantling of USAID, USIP, and State Department offices under the Trump administration. Melissa Nazelle outlined the Berkeley Center’s SRE hub, which curates a digital repository, oral‑history interviews, a blog series, and the ARPAC country‑profile briefs—already released for Bosnia, Myanmar, El Salvador, with Sudan and Syria forthcoming—emphasizing that faith‑based actors are often “the first in and the last out” of peace and development efforts. The conversation concluded that restoring inter‑agency religious literacy, preserving institutional memory, and providing concise analytical tools are essential for future diplomatic, development, and security initiatives, suggesting that a revitalized SRE capacity could significantly enhance U.S. foreign‑policy effectiveness.
Autonomous Ukraine: The Rise of Civilian Intelligence | Why It Matters
An episode of the CFR’s “Why It Matters” examines how readily available technologies—drones, satellites, smartphones, and AI—are turning Ukrainian civilians and aid workers into frontline intelligence gatherers. Guests Anthony Vinci and Sam Vigersky discuss the creation of massive digital evidence...
After the Strikes: The Prospects in Iran
The video examines Iran’s strategic outlook following a series of recent airstrikes targeting its nuclear facilities and oil infrastructure. It outlines how the attacks have deepened economic pressure, intensified domestic unrest, and complicated Tehran’s diplomatic overtures with Europe and the...
Demis Hassabis: The DeepMind Founder at the Heart of the AI Moment
Demis Hassabis, the founder of DeepMind, has been shaping artificial intelligence since the 1990s, long before the current AI boom and Sam Altman's rise to prominence. His early work on deep reinforcement learning produced landmark systems such as AlphaGo and...
Local Journalists Webinar: Community Responses to the Conflict with Iran
Ray Takeyh, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discussed the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and their broader regional implications. The webinar also examined how Iranian communities across the United States are responding to the conflict, with...
CFR 4/1 Global Affairs Expert Webinar: BRICS and Rising Power Alliances
The Council on Foreign Relations webinar featured MIT scholar Dr. Mihaela Papa discussing the evolution of BRICS from a loose negotiation platform in 2009 to a hybrid organization that now counts ten full members and a growing roster of partners. ...
Gulf States Under Fire, With Mina Al-Oraibi | The President’s Inbox
The President’s Inbox interview with Mina Al‑Oraibi, editor‑in‑chief of The National, focuses on the fifth week of Iran’s missile and drone barrage against the Gulf, detailing how the United Arab Emirates and neighboring states are coping with unprecedented attacks. Al‑Oraibi notes...
Does Japan Need the United States for Security?
In a recent episode of The President’s Inbox, Kristi Govella, senior adviser and Japan chair at CSIS, emphasized that the U.S.-Japan security alliance remains irreplaceable for Tokyo’s defense. She argued that no alternative partnership can match the depth of deterrence...
How Are Europeans Reacting to the War with Iran?
European leaders have publicly stated that the conflict with Iran is not their war and they will not join U.S. military efforts, a stance reiterated by Constanze Stelzenmüller of Brookings on The President’s Inbox podcast. The comment reflects a broader...
Autonomous Ukraine: One Woman's Path From a U.S. College to the Battlefield | Why It Matters
Catarina Buchatskiy left a U.S. college weeks after Russia’s invasion to join Ukraine’s frontline, embodying the diaspora’s rapid mobilization. She co‑founded the Snake Island Institute, which translates battlefield intelligence into policy advice for Western allies. Ukraine’s drone sector has exploded...
The World Food Prize at 40: Food Security in a Strategic Age
The World Food Prize marked its 40‑year anniversary, using the ceremony to spotlight the growing importance of food safety alongside traditional agricultural breakthroughs. This year’s laureate, Huub Lelieveld, was recognized for his work with the Global Harmonization Initiative, which builds...
U.S.-China AI Race + Chip Bans Aren’t Working + A Lesson From Nuclear Proliferation | The Spillover
The Council on Foreign Relations podcast examines the accelerating U.S.-China AI rivalry, noting that U.S. export controls on advanced chips have slowed but not halted China’s progress. Loopholes such as cloud‑based access, smuggling, and third‑party vendors keep Chinese developers within...
Inside the Situation Room the Night the U.S. Bombed Iran: Sebastian Gorka
Deputy Assistant to the President Sebastian Gorka claimed the United States secretly bombed Iranian nuclear facilities, dropping thirty 24,000‑pound bombs while remaining undetected. He said the operation was kept under tight operational security, known only to personnel inside the sites....
Trump’s Trade Goals for Xi Meeting Seem More Chinese than American
During a recent Council on Foreign Relations podcast, analysts examined President Donald Trump’s trade agenda ahead of his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump’s proposals emphasize bilateral monitoring mechanisms that could effectively sideline the World Trade Organization, raising alarms...
China's Supply Chain Edge in the Iran War
The video examines how China has turned supply‑chain diversification into a geopolitical advantage, especially as the Iran‑Israel conflict strains global trade routes. Rather than retreating to self‑sufficiency, Beijing expands partnerships to ensure redundancy. Analysts note that China’s “friend‑shoring” strategy—building ties with...
