On the Record

In this episode, panelists discuss the ongoing geoeconomic consequences of the conflict in Iran, including global energy flows and oil prices, economic development and AI buildout in the Gulf region, and sanctions on Russia. They also explore inflation and interest rates as markets respond to the crises. Background Reading: this article Host: Edward Fishman, Senior Fellow and Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies, Council on Foreign Relations Guests: Edward Morse, Senior Advisor and Commodities Analyst, Hartree Partners, LP; CFR Member Meghan L. O’Sullivan, Director and Professor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School; Member, Board of Directors, Council on Foreign Relations Brad W. Setser, Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations Karen E. Young, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs; CFR Member Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: The Geoeconomic Ripple Effects of the War in Iran

In this episode, panelists discuss Iran’s current political climate, concerns for civilians on the ground, and how the country’s rapidly evolving internal dynamics are shaping U.S. objectives as well as broader regional and international considerations. Background Reading: this article Host: Deborah Amos, Ferris Professor of Journalism in Residence, Princeton University; CFR Member Guests: Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations Mahmood Reza Amiry-Moghaddam, Professor, University of Oslo; Founder and Director, Iran Human Rights NGO Mara Karlin, Professor of Practice, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies; Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution; CFR Member Ray Takeyh, Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies, Council on Foreign Relations Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: Iran’s Internal Dynamics and U.S. Objectives

In this episode, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby discusses the U.S. National Defense Strategy under the Donald Trump administration. Background Reading: this article Host: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations Guests: Elbridge A. Colby, Under Secretary of War for Policy, U.S. Department of War; CFR Member Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: A Conversation with Elbridge Colby

In this episode, panelists explore three critical issues for securing Ukraine’s future: achieving a just and durable peace, ensuring long-term security, and helping the country rebuild and recover from the ravages of war. Background Reading: This article Host: Jonathan Karl, ABC News chief Washington correspondent and co-anchor of This Week with George Stephanopoulos Guests: Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (D); Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Member, Senate Armed Services Committee Thom Tillis, U.S. Senator from North Carolina (R); Chair, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property; Member, Senate Finance Committee Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: The U.S. Vision for Ukraine

In this episode, John C. Williams, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, discusses monetary policy and the economic outlook for the year ahead. Background Reading: This article Host: Abby Joseph Cohen, Professor of Business, Columbia Business School Guests: John C. Williams, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of New York Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: International Economics With John C. Williams

In this episode, experts discuss the new Council Special Report, America Revived: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership, which defines U.S. vital national interests, summarizes the history of U.S. grand strategy, and proposes an alternative that combines military strength with international legitimacy. Background Reading: This report Host: Suzanne Nossel, Lester Crown Senior Fellow on U.S. Foreign Policy and International Order, Chicago Council on Global Affairs Guests: Robert D. Blackwill, Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations; Author, Council Special Report, America Revived: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership Thomas A. Shannon, Jr., Senior International Policy Advisor, Arnold & Porter; Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2016–18) Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership

Since civil war erupted on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Sudan has become the site of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. More than ten million people have been displaced, over half of the population needs humanitarian assistance, and over 750,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of hunger. In this episode, experts discuss ongoing humanitarian efforts, the challenges faced by aid workers, and potential solutions to mitigate the worsening crisis in Sudan. Background Reading: This article Host: Michelle Gavin, Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, Council on Foreign Relations Guests: Kholood Khair, Political Analyst; Researcher; Founding Director, Confluence Advisory Kate Almquist Knopf, Senior Advisor, WestExec Advisors; former Assistant Administrator for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development Susan Stigant, Director of Africa Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: The Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan

In this episode, Senators Christopher Coons and Pete Ricketts—members of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations—discuss the role of Congress in formulating, resourcing, and creating the institutional basis for China policy. Background Reading: This article Host: Rush Doshi, C.V. Starr Senior Fellow for Asia Studies and Director of the China Strategy Initiative, CFR; Cochair, Washington China Forum Guests: Christopher A. Coons, U.S. Senator from Delaware (D) Pete Ricketts, U.S. Senator from Nebraska (R) Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: China and Congress: Is There Still a Bipartisan Consensus?

CFR’s World Economic Update highlights the quarter’s most important and emerging trends. This episode covers changes in the global marketplace, with a special emphasis on current economic events and their implications for U.S. policy. Host: Sebastian Mallaby, Paul A. Volcker Senior Fellow for International Economics, CFR Guests: Jan Hatzius, Chief Economist and Head of Global Investment Research, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Karen Karniol-Tambour, Co-Chief Investment Officer, Bridgewater Associates, LP Natasha Sarin, Professor of Law, Yale Law School Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: 2026 World Economic Update

In this episode, experts discuss the United States’ renewed interest in Greenland—which the Trump administration argues is vital to U.S. national security—and what it means for Arctic security, the NATO alliance, and great power competition. Background Reading: This article Host: David E. Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, New York Times; CFR Member Guests: Heather A. Conley, Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute, Foreign and Defense Policy; Former President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States; CFR Member Rebecca Pincus, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Research Institute; Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security, German Marshall Fund of the United States; Former Director, Polar Institute, Wilson Center Geoffrey Pyatt, Senior Managing Director, McLarty Associates; Former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources and U.S. Ambassador to Greece and Ukraine Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: Greenland in the Geopolitical Spotlig

For two-and-a-half centuries, the United States has faced a challenging world. Some of its responses have made Americans proud. Others have not. CFR asked members of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations what they considered the best and worst U.S. foreign policy decisions. In this episode, panelists discuss the results of the project and the evolution of America’s role in the world. Host: David M. Rubenstein, Cofounder and Cochairman, The Carlyle Group; Chairman, Board of Directors, CFR Guests: Mary L. Dudziak, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Emory University School of Law; CFR Member James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Christopher M. Nichols, Wayne Woodrow Hayes Chair in National Security Studies and Professor of History, The Ohio State University Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: America at 250 Series: The Best and Worst Decisions in U.S. Foreign Policy

In this episode, panelists discuss the latest unrest in Iran, the economic pressures that have sparked nationwide protests, and the implications for U.S. policy amid ongoing regional tensions. Background Reading: This article Host: Missy Ryan, Staff Writer, The Atlantic Guests: Vali R. Nasr, Majid Khadduri Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Ray Takeyh, Hasib J. Sabbagh Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies, CFR Sanam Vakil, Director, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: The Protests in Iran

Immigrants significantly benefit the U.S. economy by growing the labor force, filling essential jobs in sectors like services, construction, and tech. In this episode, panelists discuss the effects of recent refugee and immigration policy developments on the U.S. economy. Background Reading: This articleThis article Host: Nelson W. Cunningham, Former President, McLarty Associates; Former Senior Advisor for Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Former Special Advisor on Western Hemisphere Affairs; CFR Member Guests: Steven A. Camarota, Director of Research, Center for Immigration Studies Andrea R. Flores, Founder, America’s Promise Pia Orrenius, Vice President and Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: Immigration Policy and the U.S. Economy

In this episode, David Miliband, president and chief executive officer of the International Rescue Committee, discusses the new IRC Emergency Watchlist report. The report highlights the countries at highest risk of humanitarian crisis in 2026, and evaluates the international community’s progress and shortcomings. Background Reading: This articleThis article Host: Andrea Mitchell, Chief Washington Correspondent and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News Guest: David Miliband, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Rescue Committee; Former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, United Kingdom Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: Forecasting Humanitarian Risk in 2026: A Conversation with David Miliband.

In this episode, panelists discuss examples of U.S. presidents leveraging executive power to confront political violence, human rights abuses, and other global challenges, highlighting the ways in which presidential leadership has shaped the United States’ legacy of responsibility. Host: Jacob M. Weisberg, Executive Chair, Pushkin Industries; Chair, Committee to Protect Journalists Guests: Meena Bose, Executive Dean, Public Policy and Public Service Programs and Director, Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, Kalikow School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, Hofstra University; CFR Member David J. Scheffer, Senior Fellow, CFR Ruti G. Teitel, Ernst C. Stiefel Professor of Comparative Law and Codirector, Center for International Law, New York Law School Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: Reckoning with History: Presidential Leadership and Moral Responsibility.

In this episode, former U.S. President Bill Clinton looks back on critical issues in U.S. foreign policy during his presidency, and shares lessons for sustaining American diplomatic engagement abroad. His remarks were delivered as part of the inaugural Martin S. Indyk Memorial Lecture, held in collaboration with the Clinton Global Initiative. Host: Richard Haass, President Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations; Senior Counselor, Centerview Partners Guest: Bill Clinton, Founder and Board Chair, Clinton Foundation; 42nd President of the United States Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events sent straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: A Conversation With President Bill Clinton.

In this episode, Director of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya discusses the latest developments in biomedical innovation and how they will shape the future of public health research. Background Reading: This CFR event Host: Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Senior Professorial Lecturer and President Emerita, American University; Former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Guests: Jay Bhattacharya, Director, National Institutes of Health Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit it on our YouTube channel: A Conversation With Jay Bhattacharya of the National Institutes of Health.

In this episode, experts discuss the geopolitical implications of transformative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), including how decision-makers are navigating governance, balancing innovation with risk, and addressing questions of equity and accountability. Background Reading: This articleThis article Host: Maryam Mujica, Chief Public Policy Officer, General Catalyst Guests: Laura DeNardis, Professor and Endowed Chair in Technology, Ethics, and Society; Director, Center for Digital Ethics, Georgetown University Vinh Nguyen, Senior Fellow for AI, Council on Foreign Relations Miriam Vogel, Author, Governing the Machine: How to Navigate the Risks of AI and Unlock Its True Potential; President and Chief Executive Officer, EqualAI Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: The Rules of AI: Governing Technology in a Geopolitical Age.

Since President Trump first introduced a proposal to end the war in Ukraine, revisions from both sides have led to disagreement, diminishing hopes for a lasting peace. Experts are now examining the recent meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Miami, where efforts were made to finalize a peace plan for presentation to Moscow, as well as the types of security guarantees Ukraine may seek going forward. Background Reading: This article Host: Paul B. Stares, General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action, CFR Guests: Liana Fix, Senior Fellow for Europe, CFR Thomas Graham, Distinguished Fellow, CFR Steven Sestanovich, George F. Kennan Senior Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies, CFR Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: The State of Play in Ukraine.

Intelligence experts discuss the new frontiers of intelligence gathering, examining how emerging technologies are transforming espionage and reshaping the future of U.S. national security. Background Reading: This article Host: Barton Gellman, Senior Advisor to the President, Brennan Center for Justice, NYU Law School Guests: Robert Cardillo, Former Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Anthony Vinci, Author, The Fourth Intelligence Revolution: The Future of Espionage and the Battle to Save America; Former Chief Technology Officer, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Rebecca U. Weiner, Deputy Commissioner, Intelligence and Counterterrorism, New York City Police Department; CFR Member Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter. To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu62quTXCF0