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United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The U.S. Agency for International Development is a foremost tool of U.S. soft power, administering what experts say is vital humanitarian aid worldwide each year. The Trump administration has put the agency’s future in doubt.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

The dismantling of USAID erodes the United States’ already limited influence on the continent. 

RealEcon

An overzealous effort at reforming the U.S. Agency for International Development will dismantle programs that enhance U.S. security, save lives, and boost United States’ image around the globe.
Tariffs

Trade

President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico will have economic consequences and broader effects on global trade norms.

Trade

The majority of avocados consumed in the United States come from Mexico. Here’s how tariffs could make the price of avocados—and other goods—more expensive.

Trade

Though Congress holds power over regulating commerce with foreign nations, it has incrementally delegated significant authority to the president, giving him broad discretion to take trade actions.    
DRC

DRC

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been mired in conflict for years. As fresh fighting surges in the east, the roots of today’s violence can be traced back to old problems. 

Africa

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been subjected to centuries of international intervention by European powers, as well as its African neighbors. This timeline traces the role of the outside forces that have beleaguered eastern Congo since the end of the colonial era.

DRC

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Foreign Policy

The Daily News Brief

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Steven Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the Israel-Hamas cease-fire over Gaza came together, what the agreement requires each side to do, and what will come next. 

 

Immigration

Cuba

The Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants includes a plan to transport potentially thousands to Guantánamo Bay. It is likely to spur international condemnation and a range of legal challenges.

Donald Trump

President-elect Trump has promised to commence his new term with an expansive array of executive actions, some of which could have immediate effects on U.S. foreign policy.  

United States

Record numbers of migrants seeking to cross the southern U.S. border are challenging the Joe Biden administration’s attempts to restore asylum protections. Here’s how the asylum process works.
Tech

Foreign Policy

CFR fellows weigh in on the global reaction to the release of Chinese AI model DeepSeek and what it means for U.S.-China competition.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

President Trump’s executive order on January 23rd follows his repeal of Biden’s AI executive order, directing reviews of relevant work by federal departments and agencies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Events

United States

In its new report, Securing Space: A Plan for U.S. Action, the CFR Task Force on Space Management Policy analyzes the challenges in low Earth orbit, where the acceleration in human space activity is most evident, and proposes recommendations for a U.S.-led international strategy to govern this increasingly congested and contested space. If you wish to attend virtually, log-in information and instructions on how to participate during the question and answer portion will be provided the evening before the event to those who register. Please note the audio, video, and transcript of this hybrid event will be posted on the CFR website. Members may bring a guest to this event.  

Trade

CFR experts provide insights and context around President Donald Trump's announced tariffs and what they mean for North American trade, U.S. alliances, and global competition.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Tech leader Reid Hoffman shares his insider’s perspective on an AI-powered future and its transformative potential to improve lives and create positive change.  The Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener Annual Lecture on Science and Technology addresses issues at the intersection of science, technology, and foreign policy. It has been endowed in perpetuity through a gift from CFR members Malcolm and Carolyn Wiener.  

Ukraine

President Donald Trump has indicated his desire to bring a speedy end to the war in Ukraine. How this goal will be accomplished, given the numerous obstacles, remains to be seen. In a series of publications, CFR experts on Ukraine and Russia provide a complementary set of policy recommendations aimed at ensuring Ukraine’s survival and success as an independent state. This meeting is part of the Council Special Initiative on Securing Ukraine’s Future and Wachenheim Program on Peace and Security.  

Explainers

Expert Spotlight

Sheila A. Smith
Sheila A. Smith

John E. Merow Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Studies

Japan Defense and Security Asia

Richard Haass
Richard Haass

President Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations

U.S. Foreign Policy International Relations

Why Donald Trump’s Plan to Take Over Gaza Is “A Truly Radical Idea”

Featured Publications

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

A detailed exploration of the most sweeping government border closures in human history during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications for the future of global mobility.

Religion

Hundreds of thousands of young Jews have drifted away from the American Jewish community and many more may follow. This book explains to Jewish parents, donors, and organizations how Jewish education, Jewish summer camping, and time spent in Israel can revive and strengthen Jewish identity.

United States

Son of the Midwest, movie star, and mesmerizing politician—America’s fortieth president comes to three-dimensional life in this gripping and profoundly revisionist biography.