The President’s Inbox

Brad Setser, the Whitney Shepardson senior fellow at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the causes and consequences of China's export surge. Mentioned on the Episode David H. Autor, David Dorn, and Gordon H. Hanson, "The China Syndrome: Local Labor Market Effects of Import Competition in the United States," American Economic Review Volkmar Baur, Brad W. Setser, and Michael Weilandt, "China's Record Manufacturing Surplus," CFR.org James M. Lindsay, "Election 2024: The United States Is Facing a Second China Shock," CFR.org Zongyuan Zoe Liu, "Beijing Needs to Junk Its Economic Playbook,” Foreign Policy Brad W. Setser, "China Needs More Progressive Taxes and More Spending on Public Health," CFR.org For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/second-china-shock-brad-setser

John Barrientos, a captain in the U.S. Navy and a visiting military fellow at CFR, and Kristen Thompson, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and a visiting military fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to provide an inside view on how the U.S. military is adapting to the challenges it faces. For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/challenges-facing-us-military-john-barrientos-and-kristen-thompson

Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, and Ray Takeyh, the Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle East studies at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel and the prospects for a broader Middle East war. Mentioned on the Episode Steven A. Cook, "Iran Attack Means an Even Tougher Balancing Act for the U.S. in the Middle East," CFR.org Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East [forthcoming] Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, “Keeping U.S. Power Behind Israel Will Keep Iran at Bay,” New York Times Ray Takeyh, "Iran Attacks on Israel Spur Escalation Concerns," CFR.org Ray Takeyh, The Last Shah: America, Iran, and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/irans-attack-israel-steven-cook-and-ray-takeyh

Michael Kimmage, a history professor at the Catholic University of America and a senior associate with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the origins of Russia’s war in Ukraine and its repercussion for the global order. Mentioned on the Episode Michael Kimmage, Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/russia-ukraine-and-global-instability-michael-kimmage

Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the state of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the prospects for an end to the fighting, and the tensions in U.S.-Israeli relations. Mentioned on the Episode Steven Cook, “Five Months of War: Where Israel, Hamas, and the U.S. Stand,” CFR.org Steven Cook, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East [forthcoming] For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/war-gaza-steven-cook

W.J. Hennigan, a correspondent for the Opinion section of the New York Times, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the risk of nuclear war in an era of growing geopolitical competition. Mentioned on the Episode "At the Brink," New York Times J. Hennigan, "How America Made Nuclear War the President's Decision," New York Times J. Hennigan, "Nuclear War Is Called Unimaginable. In Fact, It's Not Imagined Enough," New York Times For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/confronting-nuclear-threat-wj-hennigan

Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss whether and where the United States should be less involved in the world. This episode is the first in a special The President’s Inbox series on U.S. grand strategy. Mentioned on the Episode Stephen Wertheim, “Internationalism/Isolationism: Concepts of American Global Power [PDF],” in Rethinking U.S. World Power: Domestic Histories of U.S. Foreign Relations, ed. Daniel Bessner and Michael Brenes Stephen Wertheim, Tomorrow, the World: The Birth of U.S. Global Supremacy Stephen Wertheim, "Why America Can't Have It All: Washington Must Choose Between Primacy and Prioritizing," Foreign Affairs For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/new-us-grand-strategy-case-us-retrenchment-overseas-stephen-wertheim

Dara Lind, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the record surge in migrants and asylum seekers crossing the U.S. southern border. Mentioned on the Episode Dara Lind, "What We Know About the Senate Negotiations That Could Wreck Asylum in the U.S.," Immigration Impact The Weeds, Vox For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/crisis-us-southern-border-dara-lind

Ann Norris, a senior fellow for women and foreign policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss International Women’s Day and the challenges facing adolescent girls around the world and the solutions to address them. Mentioned on the Episode Ann Norris, ⁠⁠Renewing the Global Architecture for Gender Equality United Nations, "⁠SDG 5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls" For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/international-womens-day-ann-norris

Kate Schecter, president and CEO of World Neighbors, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss progress and setbacks in promoting economic development in some of the world’s poorest countries. For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/combating-global-poverty-kate-schecter

Miriam Elder, the Edward R. Murrow press fellow at CFR, and Carla Anne Robbins, a senior fellow at CFR and co-host of CFR’s The World Next Week podcast, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss where the war between Russia and Ukraine is headed as it enters its third year. Mentioned on the Episode “House Republicans Fear Trump Too Much to Aid Ukraine,” Economist Simon Shuster, The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky The World Next Week, Council on Foreign Relations “Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief on the Breakthrough He Needs to Beat Russia,” Economist For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/year-three-ukraine-war-miriam-elder-and-carla-anne-robbins

Kat Duffy, a senior fellow for digital and cyberspace policy at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the capacity of the U.S. government to lead in creating a framework for regulating artificial intelligence (AI). Mentioned on the Episode Kat Duffy and Katie Harbath, "Defending the Year of Democracy," Foreign Affairs For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/governance-artificial-intelligence-kat-duffy

Ray Takeyh, the Hasib J. Sabbagh senior fellow for Middle East studies at CFR, and Robin Wright, a contributing writer and columnist for the New Yorker, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ramifications of U.S. retaliation against Iranian-backed militias after the killing of three U.S. service members in Jordan on January 28. Mentioned on the Episode Ray Takeyh, The Last Shah: America, Iran and the Fall of the Pahlavi Dynasty Robin Wright, Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/us-airstrikes-iraq-and-syria-ray-takeyh-and-robin-wright

Enter the CFR book giveaway by February 13, 2024, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of The World That Wasn’t: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Century by Benn Steil. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here. Mentioned on the Episode Danny Rocco, Convention Benn Steil, The Battle for Bretton Woods: John Maynard Keynes, Harry Dexter White, and the Making of a New World Order Benn Steil, The Marshall Plan: Dawn of the Cold War Benn Steil, The World That Wasn’t: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Century Oliver Stone, The Untold Story of American History Henry Wallace, “Text of Wallace Letter to Stalin Calling for Peace Program,” New York Times For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/henry-wallace-and-origins-cold-war-benn-steil

Jessica Brandt, policy director for the Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technology Initiative at the Brookings Institution, where she is a fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how artificial intelligence might affect the 2024 U.S. elections. For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ais-impact-2024-us-elections-jessica-brandt This episode first aired: September 12, 2023

Katherine Zimmerman, a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the ongoing attacks by the Houthis in Yemen on commercial ships transiting the Red Sea. Mentioned on the Episode Alan Beattie, “Why Red Sea Attacks Won’t Derail Globalisation (Probably),” Financial Times Kenneth M. Pollack and Katherine Zimmerman, “Washington Can't Let the Houthis Take Yemen,” Wall Street Journal For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/houthi-threat-red-sea-shipping-katherine-zimmerman

David Sacks, a fellow for Asia studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the potential geopolitical consequences of Taiwan’s presidential race. Mentioned on the Episode Council on Foreign Relations, U.S.-Taiwan Relations in a New Era: Responding to a More Assertive China, 2023 Hou Yu-ih, “Taiwan’s Path Between Extremes,” Foreign Affairs James M. Lindsay, “Ten Elections to Watch in 2024,” CFR.org David Sacks, “Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election: Analyzing Hou Yu-ih’s Foreign Policy Positions,” CFR.org David Sacks, “Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election: Analyzing Ko Wen-je’s Foreign Policy Positions,” CFR.org David Sacks, “Taiwan’s 2024 Presidential Election: Analyzing William Lai’s Foreign Policy Positions,” CFR.org For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/taiwans-presidential-election-david-sacks

Bruce Hoffman, the Shelby Cullom and Kathryn W. Davis senior fellow for counterterrorism and homeland security at CFR, and Jacob Ware, a research fellow at CFR, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the rise of far-right violent extremism in the United States and abroad. Enter the CFR book giveaway by January 16, 2023, for the chance to win one of ten free copies of God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America by Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware. You can read the terms and conditions of the offer here. Mentioned on the Episode Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware, God, Guns, and Sedition: Far-Right Terrorism in America Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far Right For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/far-right-terrorism-bruce-hoffman-and-jacob-ware

Shannon O’Neil, vice president, deputy director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to answer questions submitted by listeners to The President’s Inbox. Mentioned on the Episode Walter Issacson, The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race Shannon K. O’Neil, The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/year-end-qa-special-shannon-oneil

Kori Schake, a senior fellow and the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss where the fighting in Ukraine is headed. Mentioned on the Episode Leon Aron, “The Sanctions Against Russia Are Starting to Work,” The Atlantic Kori Schake, America Vs the West: Can the Liberal World Order be Preserved? Kori Schake, “The Case for Conservative Internationalism,” Foreign Affairs For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President’s Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/future-war-ukraine-kori-schake