In his new political thriller The Human Scale, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright tells the story of an Israeli cop and a Palestinian-American FBI agent who join forces to solve the murder of an Israeli police chief in the West Bank – set against the backdrop of the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict. Wright joins us on […]
In his newly published Empty Vessel, Harvard economic historian Ian Kumekawa tells the history of the global economy through a single barge: which throughout the 20th century served as a floating prison, military barracks, housing for migrant workers, serviced offshore oil rigs, and anything else the market demanded. Ian Kumekawa joins us on WorldNow with […]
Join us to learn about the two most consequential leaders shaping the future of the Middle East. RSVP now. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - de facto ruler of one of the wealthiest states in the Middle East - has positioned himself as a transformative leader. His rule is defined by economic and […]
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins us on WorldNow with Jim Falk to explore the global rise of autocracy, new challenges posed by an assertive Russia and China, and an increasingly insular America – and what it all means for democracy and security in a changing world. In Autocrats vs. Democrats, Ambassador McFaul […]
Each year, The Economist publishes The World Ahead series: an informed prediction of the major themes that will dominate the coming year. Spanning topics from politics to technology to sociology and more, this series edited by Tom Standage is as ambitious as it is awe-inspiring. On December 8, Standage rejoins the Council to discuss his publication’s analysis for 2026. In conversation […]
How did Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service, come to be one of the world’s most notorious and prominent players in global intelligence? Just look to Meir Dagan, the Mossad’s former director who transformed the service into the leading force in counterterrorism and espionage it is today. Samuel Katz, bestselling author of The Architect of Espionage: The […]
The U.S. spends nearly a trillion dollars on its military each year, making up 40% of the world’s military spending. Is this spending really keeping America safe? Bill Hartung, author and senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, argues that not only is this spending not keeping America safe, but it is endangering […]
Thirty years ago, the world began to discover the power of the Internet: a digital world and resource to connect, share ideas, learn, and earn. While the rest of the world connected, the Chinese government began creating a system of strict surveillance and censorship on its internet – now known as the Great Firewall. Today, […]
From the Marshall Plan, the Louisiana Purchase, and the creation of the United Nations to the bombing of Nagasaki, Indian Removal Act, and the invasion of Iraq, U.S. foreign policy decisions throughout its 250-year history have had an immense impact in reshaping our nation and the world. James Lindsay, Senior Fellow at the Council on […]
