What China Really Thinks About America Right Now
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
As Trump and Xi meet for a high-stakes summit amid rising tensions over trade, technology, and Taiwan, the US-China relationship is entering another uncertain phase. Stanford University’s Oriana Skylar Mastro explains what China ultimately wants, why Beijing may view the United States as increasingly distracted, and what the summit could mean for the future balance of power.
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Is the Quad Fracturing as US Priorities Shift?
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
The Quad was meant to anchor stability in the Indo-Pacific—a way for the United States, India, Japan, and Australia to stay aligned in a rapidly changing region. But shifting US priorities under the second Trump administration are putting it to the test. Derek Grossman of the Center for a New American Security explains how countries across Asia are adapting, what it means for the Quad, and where US alliances could be headed next.
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The Most Surprising Success Stories Around the World Right Now
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
There seems to be no shortage of global challenges, from aging populations to political gridlocks to immigration. But solutions are emerging in unexpected places. John Kampfner, author of Braver New World, shares what he discovered traveling to 10 countries, including Japan, Estonia, and India, in search of ideas that are actually working. A self-described former “professional pessimist,” he explores what countries can learn from each other and what’s standing in the way.
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Is China Quietly Winning the Iran War?
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
The war with Iran isn’t just a Middle East story anymore. As attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz disrupt global energy markets, the economic impacts are being felt by Europe, the United States, and especially the Indo-Pacific. Does the ongoing conflict provide a strategic opening for China? And how is India navigating this new era of complicated alliances? James Crabtree, distinguished fellow in the Asia program at the European Council on Foreign Relations,...
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Is International Law Built for Today’s Wars?
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
As the US-Israel war on Iran continues, the international rules, laws, and norms meant to govern it are collapsing and being rewritten. Does international law still matter? And how are modern conflicts reshaping accountability and impunity? Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour breaks down what’s changing, whether laws and norms are eroding, and if these don’t hold—what comes next.
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The Cost of Trump’s Pressure Campaign on Cuba
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
As the United States tightens sanctions and cuts off oil to Cuba, the island is facing deepening economic and humanitarian strain. President Trump has signaled he wants regime change, but what would that actually mean for Cuba, its people, and the region? María de los Angeles Torres of the University of Illinois Chicago unpacks the real impact of US pressure, why sanctions may be backfiring, and what could happen if this crisis deepens.
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Is the Middle East Heading Toward a Much Bigger War?
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
“This is no longer an Iran war. This is a region-wide war.” Fawaz Gerges, of the London School of Economics and Political Science, explains why he believes the conflict has expanded far beyond Iran, what Israel is trying to achieve in Lebanon, and why the search for security may be driving the Middle East toward deeper instability.
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From Oil to Food: How the Iran War Could Disrupt Global Stability
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
Gas prices may be the first way Americans feel the war in Iran, but Catherine Bertini, former executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme, and Michael Werz of the Council on Foreign Relations explain why the deeper impact could unfold across global food systems—where rising energy costs and supply chain disruptions could drive prices higher, worsen hunger, intensify humanitarian pressures, and destabilize vulnerable regions far beyond Iran.
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Trump, Iran, and the Future of American Power
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
Trump said he would stop wars, not start them. But as the conflict with Iran widens, that promise is under strain. Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy explores what this moment reveals about presidential war powers, the limits of military force, and what this war could mean for the next chapter of US foreign policy.
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War with Iran: What the World Debated in New Delhi
Deep Dish on Global Affairs
Just days after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, global leaders gathered in New Delhi for the Raisina Dialogue. As tensions escalated, conversations quickly shifted to urgent questions about war, energy shocks, and the future of the global order. Harsh Pant of the Observer Research Foundation and Karim Haggag of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute unpack how the world is reading the Iran conflict and where it could be headed next.
info_outlineDefense is evolving fast—AI, drones, cyber threats, and autonomous weapons. The U.S. has led for decades, but China is closing in. Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Kath Hicks breaks down how the Pentagon is adapting, where it’s falling behind, and what’s at stake.