Why It Matters

UFOs: Close Encounters of the National Security Kind

Unidentified flying objects (UFOs) are real. And the truth about them is often hidden from the public, for reasons related to national security. That secrecy has fed conspiracy theories about the possibility of alien life on Earth, creating a stigma around the legitimate scientific search for life on other planets. Why are UFOs considered a defense concern? And does a defense framing of UFOs inhibit scientific research?

 

Featured Guests

Philippe Ailleris (Copernicus Programme Project Controller, European Space Agency)

Shane Harris (Intelligence Correspondent, Washington Post)

Kai-Uwe Schrogl (President, International Institute of Space Law)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/ufos-close-encounters-national-security-kind

2024: What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

Every January, CFR’s annual Preventive Priorities Survey analyzes the conflicts most likely to occur in the year ahead and measures their potential impact. For the first time, the survey predicts that this year/in 2024 the United States will contend not only with a slew of global threats, but also a high risk of upheaval within its own borders. Is the country prepared for the eruption of election-related instability at home while wars continue to rage abroad?

 

Featured Guest: 

Paul B. Stares (General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director of the Center for Preventive Action)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/2024-whats-worst-could-happen

The Year of AI and Elections

Billions of people will take to the polls next year, marking the world’s largest-ever electoral field. But this historic scale is not the only thing that will make 2024 unique. As new threats like deep fakes become cheaper and more widespread, these upcoming elections could serve as a test run for democracy in the artificial intelligence (AI) era. What risks does AI pose to elections next year? And will a surge in AI-powered disinformation change the nature of democratic elections?

 

Featured Guests:

Kat Duffy (Senior Fellow for Digital and Cyberspace Policy)

Yoel Roth (Technology Policy Fellow, University of California, Berkeley)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/year-ai-and-elections

Will India Take America’s Side Against China? (Podcast Takeover)

The United States and India have a long and complex history. In recent years, the two democracies have grown closer, linked by their shared concern about the rise of China. But the relationship has also been marked by a number of challenges. Just last week, U.S. authorities foiled a plot by an Indian national to assassinate a Sikh separatist on U.S. soil. Is the United States thinking about India the right way? And do the two countries share the same goals with regard to China? In this week's podcast takeover, host Dan Kurtz-Phelan and guest Ashley J. Tellis discuss all this and more in this Foreign Affairs Interview episode.

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit Foreign Affairs at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/will-india-take-americas-side-against-china 

Understanding the U.S. Role in the Israel-Hamas War

Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are again at war. The most recent iteration of the conflict, which erupted after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, has stoked public debate throughout the world. In the United States, heated debates about the issue have played out at universities, in boardrooms, and on social media. Thus far, the U.S. government has strongly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, sending warships and high-ranking officials to the region, but concerns are mounting about the civilian death toll and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. U.S. support for Israel is not new, but it has grown increasingly controversial, particularly among young people. Still, experts are skeptical that shifting U.S. public opinion of Israel and the Palestinian territories will influence the war’s trajectory.

 

Featured Guest:

Steven A. Cook (Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/understanding-us-role-israel-hamas-war

 

A Turning Point for Global Trade

International trade has shaped the world for much of the past century. Countries benefited from the global flow of goods, and the world became richer and safer. At the same time, many Americans lost their jobs to cheaper overseas competitors. Now, a series of compounding challenges, including great power competition and climate change, have led U.S. officials to rethink trade policy. What's next for international trade? And can the United States retain the benefits of trade while protecting critical supply chains and fighting climate change?

 

Featured Guests:

Jennifer Hillman (Senior Fellow for Trade and International Political Economy)

Inu Manak (Fellow for Trade Policy)

Edward Alden (Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/turning-point-global-trade

America’s Fentanyl Epidemic: The China Connection

Over the past few years, a new threat has emerged as a leading cause of death in the United States: fentanyl. Yet even as the drug wreaks havoc on Americans lives, preventing its flow into the United States is complicated, partially because of the supply’s overseas origins, which is often China. What is China’s role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis?

 

Featured Guests:

Tom Bollyky (​​Senior Fellow for Global Health, Economics, and Development, and Director of the Global Health Program)

Zongyuan Zoe Liu (Maurice R. Greenberg Fellow for China Studies)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/americas-fentanyl-epidemic-china-connection

The Case for Rebuilding Ukraine

Russia has caused unprecedented damage in Ukraine. And with no diplomatic end in sight to the conflict, many Ukrainians are wondering when, if ever, they will be able to go back to their homes. According to many experts, the answer is actually sooner rather than later. Can reconstruction begin before a war ends? Who pays, and where should world leaders begin?

 

Featured Guests: 

Sam Greene (Director of the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis, Professor of Russian Politics, King's College London)

Phillip Zelikow (White Burkett Miller Professor of History at the University of Virginia, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us as https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/case-rebuilding-ukraine 

Could Climate Change Break Home Insurance?

For decades, U.S. homeowners have counted on property insurance to protect them from catastrophic loss if their homes are destroyed—and the U.S. economy has rested on the functionality of that model. But as this summer’s extreme weather broke records, private companies reduced their coverage. As climate disasters become more frequent, can home insurance hold up?

 

Featured Guests:

David Marlett (Managing Director of the Brantley Risk & Insurance Center, Appalachian State University)

Nancy Watkins (Principal and Consulting Actuary, Milliman)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/could-climate-change-break-home-insurance 

Who Runs the World?... Not Women

Female representation in politics leads to numerous benefits, but the vast majority of the world’s most powerful politicians are men. Using the Council on Foreign Relations’ Women’s Power Index tool to track women’s leadership across the globe, this episode examines the problems that arise from a shortage of female leaders.

 

Featured Guests: 

Sandra Pepera (Senior Associate and Director for Gender, Women and Democracy, National Democratic Institute)

Linda Robinson (Senior Fellow for Women and Foreign Policy)

 

For an episode transcript and show notes, visit us at https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/who-runs-world-not-women