Deep Dive: Ditching US-China Science Cooperation May Backfire
A new Quincy Institute paper warns that Washington's push to isolate American science from China could erode a core strategic asset. It documents how Chinese students and scholars have historically powered U.S. research, contributing billions in tuition, high retention rates (85‑95% of STEM PhDs stay five years), and a sizable share of STEM OPT and H‑1B visas. The authors argue that broad, nationality‑based restrictions risk talent flight and weaken labs, while targeted safeguards—"smart openness"—can protect security without sacrificing innovation.
Why the US Is Ramping Up Attacks on Cuba’s Medical Brigades
President Trump’s administration is intensifying a campaign to dismantle Cuba’s overseas medical brigades, issuing a State Department memo that offers infrastructure aid in return for evicting Cuban doctors from 16 countries. The plan, dubbed the “Freedom Framework for Self‑Sufficient Healthcare,”...
Letter From Munich: Militarism in a Post-American World
The 2026 Munich Security Conference unfolded amid heightened U.S. aggression, including threats to Greenland and a looming war with Iran, while the Trump administration mocked its own foreign policy. Inside the conference, officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged...
Deep Dive: Are Gulf States Reconsidering Their US Alliance?
A Quincy Institute report finds Qatar and Saudi Arabia are reevaluating their decades‑long security reliance on the United States amid rising regional violence and doubts about Washington’s reliability. A 2026 Arab Opinion Index shows 77% of Gulf respondents view US...
For Kurds, Tom Barrack Becomes the Latest Face of US Betrayal
Tom Barrack, the Trump administration’s special envoy to Syria and Turkey, announced on Jan. 20 that the Syrian Democratic Forces’ anti‑ISIS mission had largely expired, signalling a pivot toward Damascus and a centralized Syrian state. The shift sparked protests among Kurds...
After Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland, Will Trump Follow?
On Dec. 26, 2025 Israel became the first nation to recognize Somaliland’s independence, prompting an emergency UN Security Council session where 14 members condemned the move. Israel cited cooperation in agriculture, health, technology and mineral access, while the United Nations...
Deep Dive: The US Air Force’s Costly ‘Box Cutters’
Air Force maintenance units have spent $1.79 million on 5,166 high‑end combat knives—dubbed “box cutters”—between 2017 and June 2025, despite chronic shortages of essential supplies. The knives were ordered through misclassification that sidestepped normal procurement scrutiny, allowing rapid acquisition across multiple...