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Gabrielle Sierra began her career as an arts and culture journalist, reporting for publications including Billboard, Gothamist, and InStyle. Prior to her arrival at CFR, she held an editor position at Facebook.As director of podcasting, Sierra oversees all CFR podcasts, supervising the team that edits and produces The Foreign Affairs Interview, The World Next Week, and The Presidents Inbox.
Sierra also hosts the biweekly Why It Matters podcast. She is a 2020 International Career Advancement Program (ICAP) Fellow and a cochair of CFR’s Employee Resource Group on Diversity of Underrepresented Groups in the Workplace.
Most Recent
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The International Atomic Energy Association reports on the nuclear-powered submarines that the United States and the United Kingdom will provide to Australia within the AUKUS alliance; world leaders and defense officials meet in Singapore for Asia’s premier security event– the Shangri-La Dialogue; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wraps up his Nordic tour with his final stop in Helsinki, meeting with Finnish officials to discuss North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) priorities; and NATO sends additional troops to Kosovo to respond to ethnically-charged clashes.
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Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why the United States is struggling to stop the flood of fentanyl entering the country.
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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his opponent Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu face off in Turkey’s runoff election; U.S. government leaders contend with a looming deadline to avoid a disastrous default; president-elect Bola Tinubu is sworn in as Nigeria contends with an economic crisis; Evan Gershkovich’s pre-trial detention is extended; and Sudan struggles to find a lasting solution to the conflict between the military and a paramilitary group, exacerbating its humanitarian crisis.
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Feeding the world's eight billion people has never been easy. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine shocked the market for fertilizer, that task has gotten even harder. The fertilizer crisis threatens to exacerbate food insecurity worldwide, especially in low-income countries already reeling from record-high inflation and rapidly depreciating currencies. What is fertilizer’s role in the food supply chain?
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Sadanand Dhume, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a South Asia columnist for the Wall Street Journal, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the political, economic, and climate crises roiling Pakistan.
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The Arab League summit marks the return of Syria and its president, Bashar al-Assad; Japan hosts the leaders of the Group of Seven democracies in Hiroshima, Japan, with concerns over China and Russia at the fore; the UN Security Council discusses sanctions on North Korea amid the country’s missile buildup; and migration slows at the southern U.S. border after the lifting of Title 42.
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Ashley J. Tellis, the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the challenges inherent in the evolving relationship between the United States and India.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan faces off with opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in Turkey’s presidential election; Thais vote in their first general election since 2019; the Black Sea grain deal faces possible expiration; international film makers step forward at the Cannes Film Festival; and Ukraine fends off Russia’s recent drone attack.
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Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the possibility of nuclear war felt like a problem of days past. Now, as great-power competition heats up, the potential for nuclear conflict seems higher than at any point in decades. How did the nuclear taboo fade, and what does nuclear proliferation mean for the United States?
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Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at CFR and a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the status of the war in Ukraine and whether it is time for the United States and the West to rethink their strategy.
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Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio meets with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul, South Korea; major pandemic-related U.S. immigration policies such as Title 42 end, straining an already overwhelmed southern border; the director of national intelligence and the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency brief a Senate panel on the top international threats to U.S. national security; and the U.S. Congress debates a plan to prevent default.
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Scott Snyder, a senior fellow for Korea studies and the director of the program on U.S.-Korea policy at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s recent state visit with U.S. President Joe Biden and its implications for the U.S.-South Korean alliance.
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Iran and Russia aim to broker a rapprochement between Syria and Turkey; the Israeli Knesset begins its summer session in the face of mass protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms; Pope Francis makes a three-day visit to Hungary, where he is expected to raise concerns about migration and the war in Ukraine; and a cease-fire fails to put an end to conflict in Sudan.
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National Security and Defense Program
All current U.S. military personnel have one thing in common: they volunteered. But falling recruitment has raised questions of national security, military readiness, and the health of U.S. society. Can the all-volunteer force handle a changing international security landscape? -
Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute and a professor of public policy at the Colorado School of Mines, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss why critical minerals have emerged as a major issue in the U.S.-China geopolitical competition.
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U.S. President Joe Biden hosts South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for a state visit, marking the seventy-year U.S.-South Korean alliance; people worldwide celebrate Earth Day with pledges to take environmental action; and the UN Security Council discusses its mission to Haiti and plans to stabilize the turbulent country.
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The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group wrap up their joint spring meetings, where the focus is on restructuring debt for low-income countries; expected Republican presidential candidates convene at a National Rifle Association Leadership Forum amid ongoing mass shooting concerns; and the United Nations discusses the prospects for national elections in Libya, as the country continues to grapple with sharp divisions.
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Censorship and Freedom of Expression
Freedom of the press is under attack around the globe, but for journalists in Latin America in particular, reporting has become a matter of life and death. Populist leaders in the region have consolidated power and clamped down on press freedom, making the area the deadliest in the world for reporters. With anti-journalist sentiment on the rise, can a free and fair press prevail in an increasingly polarized world? -
Jenny Town, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center and the director of Stimson’s 38 North program, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss North Korea’s nuclear advances and their consequences for the security situation in Northeast Asia.
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China’s President Xi Jinping woos France’s President Emmanuel Macron, while Macron urges Xi to bring “Russia back to reason” on Ukraine; Northern Ireland’s Good Friday peace agreement turns twenty-five; and as Iran celebrates National Nuclear Technology Day, its enriched uranium stocks grow.
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Esther Brimmer, The James H. Binger Senior Fellow in Global Governance at The Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss a recent multilateral agreement reached at the United Nations to protect biodiversity in the world’s oceans.
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Diplomacy and International Institutions
Turkey’s presidential candidates officially kick-off their campaigns ahead of May elections; Russia begins its term as president of the UN Security Council; and Walt Disney World wraps up its fiftieth anniversary celebration amid legal disputes with the Florida state government. -
As rising global temperatures thaw the ice at the North Pole of the planet, competition between nuclear-powered states threatens to heat up the Arctic Circle even further. An increasingly minable Arctic, which contains vast natural resources, has piqued the economic interests of oil-hungry great powers, even as the warmer climate jeopardizes Indigenous tribes. Here’s how the Arctic could become the next frontier of great-power competition.
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Robots and Artificial Intelligence
Paul Scharre, the vice president and director of Studies at the Center for a New American Security, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping great power competition and intensifying the geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States. -
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China to discuss Brazil-China economic ties; millions of people around the world switch off their lights for 60 minutes to celebrate Earth Hour; and the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Zambia co-host the second Summit for Democracy.
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Edward Alden, the Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow at CFR and Ross Dist Visiting Professor at Western Washington University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the crisis at the U.S. southern border and the domestic debates over U.S. immigration policy.
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The UN Security Council decides whether to renew the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan; on its twentieth anniversary, Americans and Iraqis take stock of the U.S. invasion of Iraq; and the future of the Ukraine-Russia Black Sea Grain Initiative, a vital food export agreement, is decided.
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The world is entering a new era of great-power competition. As U.S. policymakers look ahead, it pays to know what global threats to anticipate. Every January, the Council on Foreign Relations publishes a survey that analyzes the conflicts most likely to occur in the twelve months ahead and rates their potential impact on the United States. But can the country prepare itself for mass immigration, cyberwarfare, and nuclear tensions while still cooperating with adversaries on global issues such as climate change?
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Shannon K. 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 discuss Mexico’s new electoral law and other developments that may be eroding the country’s democratic governance.
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UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss migration, trade, security, and other issues; the world enters the fourth year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic; and Academy Award-nominated films spotlight international issues.
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Ebenezer Obadare, the Douglas Dillon senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the results of Nigeria’s presidential election and their consequences.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss U.S.-German security cooperation in NATO and in the Indo-Pacific; China’s National People’s Congress begins its legislative session; Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha awaits the verdict of his treason trial as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen’s authoritarian grip tightens; and political tensions rise in Nigeria as the country reacts to Bola Tinubu’s presidential win.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, holds its presidential election; Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reaches the one-year mark; U.S. President Joe Biden’s new restrictions on migrants seeking asylum spurs fury from immigration activists.
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Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, and Miranda Priebe, director of the Center for Analysis of U.S. Grand Strategy and a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss where the war in Ukraine is headed and how U.S. foreign policy should respond.
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World leaders attend the Munich Security Conference, a high-level event focusing on global challenges; U.S. President Joe Biden visits Poland to reinforce NATO’s resolve for supporting Ukraine; and tens of thousands protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed changes to powers of the judiciary branch.
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Michelle Gavin, the Ralph Bunche senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of climate change in the Horn of Africa. This series is made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Turkey and Syria struggle to respond to devastating earthquakes; Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, puts forward possible pardons for thousands of protesters; and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva meets with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, DC.
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Jonathan Berkshire Miller, senior fellow and director of foreign affairs, national defense, and national security at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss Canada’s first Indo-Pacific strategy and the implications for its allies.
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U.S. President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Beijing to try to stabilize U.S.-China relations; and the European Union’s embargo on Russian refined oil products is scheduled to go into effect.
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Sheila Smith, the John E. Merow senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the reasoning behind Japan’s new defense strategy and the Japanese government’s decision to double defense spending.
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Pope Francis visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan during his fourth visit to Africa; Russia reacts to Western pledges to send tanks to Ukraine; and the United Nations works to counter the Taliban’s discrimination against women amid an escalating humanitarian crisis.
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Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss his new book, The Bill of Obligations: The Ten Habits of Good Citizens.
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U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discusses Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; China grapples with a sharp influx of COVID-19 cases amid Lunar New Year travels; and NATO concerns rise over tensions between Greece and Turkey.
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Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council and professor and director of global health studies at Seton Hall University's School of Diplomacy and International Relations, and Zongyuan Zoe Liu, a fellow for international political economy at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the consequences of China’s decision to end its zero-COVID policy.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva confronts the challenges posed by riots in the capital, Brasília; Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio visits U.S. President Joe Biden to discuss U.S.-Japan security cooperation; and the Czech Republic votes for a new president.
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Martin S. Indyk, the Lowy distinguished fellow in U.S.-Middle East diplomacy at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the consequences of Benjamin Netanyahu’s return as Israel’s prime minister.
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The 118th U.S. Congress gets off to a rocky start; U.S. President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador meet in Mexico City for the tenth North American Leaders’ Summit; and China relaxes its strict COVID-19 border policies amid a surging COVID caseload.
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Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how China uses its media power to influence the domestic politics of countries around the world.
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In this special series of The President’s Inbox on climate change, Paul J. Angelo, the director of the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of climate change in Central America. This series is made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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In this special year-end episode, CFR Senior Fellow Carla Anne Robbins joins James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon to review the biggest events of 2022 and the stories to keep an eye on next year. They discuss precarious U.S.-China relations, climate change, Russia’s war in Ukraine, Iran’s protests, the state of democracy globally, and more.
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In 2022, several colossal events dominated the headlines, most prominently the war in Ukraine and the worldwide inflation that it helped spark. But beyond Ukraine, events with global implications continued to unfold. In this episode, Why It Matters checks in with three CFR fellows and CFR President Richard Haass to understand the least-covered stories of 2022 and to take a peek at what could await the world in 2023.
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Edward Alden, the Bernard L. Schwartz senior fellow at CFR and Ross Dist Visiting Professor at Western Washington University, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how the Biden administration’s economic policies are creating rifts with some of the United States’ closest allies.
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Tunisians will vote in the first elections since the adoption of a new constitution that critics say is antidemocratic; the U.S. Congress rushes to pass a spending bill to avert a government shutdown; and Argentina and France compete in the World Cup final as host Qatar faces international scrutiny.
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Liana Fix, a fellow for Europe at CFR, and Michael Kimmage, a history professor at the Catholic University of America and a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the current status of the war in Ukraine and to assess the strategies that Russia, Ukraine, and the West are pursuing.
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Russia celebrates its Constitution Day as President Vladimir Putin manages the messaging around his war in Ukraine; the European Union’s top political leaders discuss possible expansion of the bloc and energy and security concerns amid the Ukraine war; and President Joe Biden hosts the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit to boost cooperation on trade, food security, COVID-19 responses, and other issues.
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For years, the world thought of the internet as a borderless zone that brought people from around the world together. But as governments pursue very different regulatory paths, the monolithic internet is breaking apart. Now, where there had been one, there are at least three internets: one led by the United States, one by China, and one by the European Union.
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Sebastian Mallaby, the Paul A. Volcker senior fellow for international economics at the Council and a columnist at the Washington Post, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the likely consequences of the recent U.S. ban on the export of advanced semiconductor chips and technology to China.
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The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) takes place in Montreal, Canada; the European Union and Group of Seven (G7) plan to implement price caps and partial embargos on Russian oil to respond to the war in Ukraine; and the Chinese Community Party reacts to nationwide protests over its zero-COVID policy.
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The 2022 FIFA World Cup has kicked off in Qatar, and billions of fans worldwide are tuning in to the world’s most popular live event. And yet as in years past, the Qatar Cup is transpiring under the shadow of controversy.
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Daniel Silverberg, managing director at global strategy firm Capstone and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and Christopher Tuttle, senior fellow and director of the Renewing America Initiative at the Council, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the results of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections and its impact on U.S. foreign policy.
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The UN Human Rights Council meets for a special session on the Iranian regime’s brutal crackdown on protesters; the COP27 conference draws to a close amid calls from developing countries to increase funding for climate damages; and the 2022 FIFA World Cup begins in Doha, Qatar, even as controversy lingers.
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In this special series of The President’s Inbox on climate change, Beza Tesfaye, director of Research and Learning for Migration and Climate Change at Mercy Corps and senior associate for the Project on Fragility and Mobility at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the impact of climate change in the Sahel region. This series is made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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The United States takes stock of the midterm election results; geopolitical tensions loom over the Group of Twenty summit in Bali, Indonesia; and conversation swirls around possible diplomacy between Russia and Ukraine.
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Suzanne Maloney, vice president and director of the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the causes and consequences of the recent protests in Iran.
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Egypt hosts the COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt; Americans vote in closely watched midterm elections; and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, kicks off a month of summitry in Asia.
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Christopher Nichols, professor of history and Wayne Woodrow Hayes chair in National Security Studies at The Ohio State University, Emily Conroy-Krutz, associate professor of history at Michigan State University, and Jay Sexton, professor of history and Rich and Nancy Kinder Chair of Constitutional Democracy at the University of Missouri, sit down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how ideology has historically influenced and shaped U.S. foreign policy.
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Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva face off in Brazil’s presidential runoff; the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party selects Rishi Sunak to be the new prime minister; and Israel holds general elections, with Benjamin Netanyahu looking to make another political comeback.
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The global arms trade is big business and the United States accounts for more than 40 percent of the world’s weapons exports. Aside from the profit motivation, selling arms abroad can be an effective foreign policy tool, allowing the United States to exert influence over conflict and security worldwide without having to put boots on the ground. But are the risks worth the reward?
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Steven A. Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss the future of the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia in the wake of the decision by OPEC+ to cut oil production.
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Investors and high-ranking officials land in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the Future Investment Initiative, dubbed the ‘Davos of the Desert;’ the German Group of Seven (G7) presidency and the European Commission host experts to discuss Ukraine’s postwar recovery, reconstruction, and modernization; and U.S. import controls on chips take effect, with major consequences for China’s technological growth.
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Shannon K. 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 discuss how regionalization, not globalization, has been the biggest trend of the past forty years—and why that matters.
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The Iraqi parliament meets to choose a new president; Xi Jinping is expected to consolidate power at the Twentieth National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party; and Israel and Lebanon prepare to finalize a historic agreement on a disputed maritime border.
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How does a war end? In this special episode, Why It Matters speaks with CFR President Richard Haass on the conflict in Ukraine. We ask if and how this war can come to a close and discuss what compromises might have to be made.
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Ian Johnson, Stephen A. Schwarzman senior fellow for China studies at CFR, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what the Chinese Communist Party’s upcoming 20th National Congress means for China and its approach to the world.
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The UN General Assembly is set to vote on a resolution condemning Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory; thousands of participants gather in Reykjavik, Iceland, for the Arctic Circle Assembly; and the United Nations marks the tenth anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child.
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Liana Fix, a CFR fellow for Europe, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss how German foreign policy has changed in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and whether the Kremlin’s decision to halt natural gas exports will force Berlin to end its support for Kyiv.
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European leaders investigate the sudden leaks in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, suspecting sabotage; Brazil holds its presidential election amid strong partisan tensions; and Iranians continue their anti-government protests over the death of Mahsa Amini.
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The U.S.-Saudi relationship is fraught with complications. Saudi Arabia has the largest oil reserves in the world, giving it influence over what Americans pay at the gas pump. At the same time, the kingdom’s human rights abuses are at odds with the United States’ stated democratic values. Who holds the power in this partnership? And what compromises are being made so the countries can work together?
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Censorship and Freedom of Expression
Suzanne Nossel, the Chief Executive Officer of PEN America, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss growing threats around the world to free expression and how the fight to protect human rights needs to adapt to succeed in a world of great power competition. -
Italians vote in a snap general election with an expected populist surge; occupied territories in Ukraine stage referendums on whether or not to join Russia; and the Joe Biden administration holds a summit with Pacific Island leaders to counter growing Chinese influence.
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Leslie Vinjamuri, the Director of the US and the Americas programme and Dean of the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham House, sits down with James M. Lindsay to discuss what a new monarch, a new prime minister, and the legacy of Brexit mean for Britain’s future.
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Beware, coffee lovers: climate change could disrupt your precious morning cup of joe. Coffee beans could lose half of their farmable land by 2050 as temperatures and weather patterns become more extreme and less predictable. This could lead to scarcer yields and pricier brews. But there is hope that unique varieties and novel farming techniques could change coffee’s destiny. The transition will require massive investments and many observers question whether the industry can meet the challenge.
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United Nations General Assembly
World leaders gather for the seventy-seventh session of the UN General Assembly; NATO’s senior military authority meets in Estonia to discuss the war in Ukraine; and the U.S. Federal Reserve plans another interest rate hike to combat inflation. -
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Mexico with an economics-focused agenda; Swedes head to the polls for a general election that’s expected to be a close race between the ruling left-wing bloc and right-wing opposition; and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi join leaders from across Asia in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to discuss regional stability, food security, and trade at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit.
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Diplomacy and International Institutions
Hip-hop is a phenomenon that has captured hearts around the world. Its musical form ranges from party anthems to critical social commentary. But the genre plays another role: it is an influential soft-power tool for the United States. Like its predecessors jazz and rock, hip-hop is utilized by the U.S. State Department to connect with young minds, and its unique ability to inspire goodwill toward the United States offers a significant advantage over adversaries such as China and Russia. How did hip-hop become a go-to diplomatic instrument? -
For the past two thousand years, the pope has been a major player in global affairs. He is frequently called upon to act as a peace broker, a mediator, an advocate, and an influencer; and with over 1.3 billion followers around the world, the pope and his governmental arm, the Holy See, have the power to shape the future. How has the pope's power changed over time, and what is his role today?
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In this special episode, Why It Matters follows up with CFR President Richard Haass to hear his insights on the war in Ukraine.
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For years, large corporations have exploited international tax laws to pay less taxes. But last year, 137 countries backed a potential solution: a 15 percent corporate tax applied regardless of a company’s location. The reform could raise global tax revenues by more than $150 billion a year, but as advocates garner political support, there are significant roadblocks.
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How can the world create better medicines? More powerful solar cells? New batteries? The answers could come from a revolutionary research tool known as the quantum computer. It can seem like magic—harnessing the power of quantum physics to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. But there are unmitigated risks too, as the technology continues to develop. What would a quantum-led future hold?
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The world is already witnessing the effects of climate change. One inescapable and irreversible consequence is sea-level rise, which could destroy coastal cities. How will the world adapt to rising tides?
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In this special episode, Why It Matters sits down with CFR President Richard Haass to ask the basic questions about the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s frame of mind, and his threat to world order.
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The world is moving toward electric vehicles and clean energy, but a green future doesn’t depend on wind turbines, solar panels, and Teslas alone. It will also require a vast supply of advanced batteries. As a result, global demand for lithium—an essential battery ingredient—is outpacing supply, with the gap expected to grow in the years to come.
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Why It Matters is back for a fifth season, asking the important questions about the global issues, problems, and trends that will affect the future. What role does American music play in international relations? Will the global supply chain put the path to clean energy at risk? What the heck is quantum computing?
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Last summer, China tested a hypersonic missile that traveled through orbit. The test shocked many observers and led to widespread concern about the potential for nuclear-armed missiles that can evade detection and defense systems. The technology is not as new as it might seem, but this latest test highlights an underlying threat that the world has been living with for decades.
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Nuclear energy is critical for decarbonization in the fight against climate change. But high-profile accidents, substantial costs, and concerns about waste management have kneecapped its expansion. As the climate crisis intensifies, the world is rethinking how to use nuclear energy to tackle ambitious climate targets.
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Experts argue that Mexico affects daily life in the United States more than any other country. For years, U.S. and Mexican officials have attempted to tackle immigration, trade, and security challenges, and their success has depended on cooperation. With so much at stake, Why It Matters investigates the complex relationship and the factors that threaten it.
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Female service members are more likely to be sexually assaulted by a fellow member of the military than shot by an enemy combatant at war. As the reports increase, the controversial military justice system remains intact. The current policy gives commanders authority over the prosecution, often allowing perpetrators to evade accountability. The consequences are dire for survivors and the armed services at large, as the status quo undermines military readiness.
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Nonproliferation, Arms Control, and Disarmament
Why It Matters is pleased to present an episode from its sister podcast, The President’s Inbox. Today, U.S. national security is dependent on international nuclear agreements. How does the world regulate nuclear weapons as countries continue to advance their arsenals? -
The glamour and thrill of espionage, brought to life on screen by characters such as James Bond, have long captivated imaginations. But this profession is deeply misunderstood, and it is always changing. Today, spycraft hangs in the balance as new technologies emerge and societies change.
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In this special episode, CFR President Richard N. Haass examines the war in Afghanistan and the lessons to be learned in its wake.
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The United States’ alliance with Japan is the centerpiece of U.S. security in Asia, but new demographic challenges from within Japan raise concerns about the future of the region.
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Fresh water is more than just a resource, it is the source of all life. But in many arid regions of the world, water supplies are under pressure from climate change, and outdated rules and infrastructure are making the problem worse. What does the world need to know about water consumption, and how can societies build better systems for a dryer future?
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Silicon chips are in almost all electronics, and access to them can make or break a country’s economic future. Their production relies on complex supply chains, and during the pandemic, the world learned just how fragile these supply chains are. Many countries, including the United States and China, are investing billions of dollars to develop the capacity to produce chips domestically, and some analysts see chip-related conflict on the horizon.
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Will the world have enough water to survive in the era of climate change? Could a shortage of silicon chips eventually lead to war? Do human spies matter in the era of cyber espionage? Why It Matters is back for its fourth season, unpacking new problems and speaking with a host of new guests.
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Industrial overfishing and other man-made factors have pushed one-third of the world’s fish stocks to be threatened with extinction, and many other species are not far behind. The problem represents a serious risk to ocean biodiversity, and to large human populations that rely on fish for day-to-day survival. What can be done?
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Successful vaccine rollouts in the United States and other wealthy nations have made many people hopeful that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight. But the majority of the world’s population does not yet have access to these vaccines. Without a strong global effort to immunize everyone, new variants could tighten the pandemic’s grip on rich and poor countries alike.
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The dollar is the world’s primary reserve currency, accounting for $6.7 trillion in foreign reserves. This has given the United States what some have called “an exorbitant privilege,” allowing it to borrow easily and to levy painful sanctions. But could it lose this status?
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Terrorism and Counterterrorism
For years, security experts have warned that white nationalist and white supremacist extremism represent the most significant domestic terrorism threat to the United States. Now, in the wake of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, the country seems to be gaining clarity about the seriousness of the situation for the first time. How did we get here, and what can be done? -
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What does it take to make a Hollywood blockbuster? Movie stars? A great script? How about approval from the Chinese government? In this episode, two guests explore the surprising role of Chinese censorship and oversight in the production of U.S. films and ask what’s at stake as their presence increases.
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Projections show that by 2050, Africa’s population will double. By 2100, one in three people on Earth will be African. This means that, by the end of the century, sub-Saharan Africa—which already has an extraordinarily young population—will be home to almost half of the young people in the world. In this episode, two experts examine whether Africa’s youth boom will be a blessing or a curse.
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The Brazilian Amazon is burning, threatening the world’s largest repository of biodiversity. If the fires are not controlled soon, they could release a “climate bomb” of stored carbon that would accelerate climate change.
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Fifty-five percent of the global population lacks access to safe sanitation, a deadly global health disparity that rarely finds its way into the spotlight. In this episode, we examine the scope of the problem, and the cultural challenges that have made it surprisingly difficult to fix.
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The United States trails far behind most advanced democracies when it comes to voter turnout, with just 55 percent of eligible voters participating in the 2016 election. What are other countries doing right, and what is the United States doing wrong?
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What happens when the world runs out of fish? Does TikTok actually present a national security risk? Will Africa's population boom change the world as we know it? In season three, Why It Matters explores a new series of challenges that are gathering on the horizon.
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Works of art and cultural heritage sites are common casualties in war. In many cases, the sale of plundered treasures has helped finance ongoing conflict. In this episode, two experts examine the history of conflict-driven looting. Along the way, they trace the opaque, unregulated international art market that allows irreplaceable treasures to travel from strife-torn regions to the catalogues of prestigious auction houses.
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For decades, international students have enjoyed bipartisan support in the United States, with strong consensus that they fuel American innovation, job creation, and competitiveness. But in recent years, their access to U.S. colleges and universities has come under threat, and other nations are seizing the opportunity to bring in the world’s brightest students.
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As the effects of climate change move from scientific predictions to daily headlines, some investors have begun sounding the alarm about impending dangers to financial markets. In this episode, experts break down the intersection of climate change and the economy, and examine whether the persuasive power of the dollar can be leveraged in the fight for climate action.
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Hosting the Olympics is a monumental undertaking that often leaves behind rusted stadiums and financial losses. So why do nations compete to do it? This episode examines the political history of the games, and the soft power that countries hope to gain by hosting them.
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Whether you think we are making history or repeating it, it’s safe to say we are living in a historic time. In this episode, Why It Matters asks three historians to weigh in on how to use the past to examine the present and make better choices for the future.
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The killing of George Floyd, the anti-racism protest movement that followed, and the Donald J. Trump administration’s response have shaken the United States and captivated the world. Why It Matters speaks with two foreign correspondents to understand how the protests are being understood abroad.
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In this special episode of The World Next Week, James M. Lindsay and Robert McMahon are joined by Gabrielle Sierra, CFR podcast producer and host of Why It Matters, to discuss their favorite quarantine reads, beloved documentaries and television series, podcasts, and more entertainment they’re looking forward to enjoying this summer. Read more about Jim, Bob, and Gabrielle’s picks on Jim’s blog, The Water’s Edge.
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It is estimated that twenty to forty million people around the world are victims of human trafficking. Of these, the majority are trafficked for labor, and many of them are exploited in the United States.
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China is undertaking massive infrastructure projects across the world and loaning billions of dollars to developing nations. On paper, the objective is to build a vast trade network, but is China also exporting authoritarianism?
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Roughly four hundred million people in India use the encrypted messaging platform WhatsApp. Now, the country’s ruling party is trying to force WhatsApp to let the government trace and censor messages. The outcome could change digital freedoms in the world’s largest democracy, and could have strong implications for the future of privacy everywhere.
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What’s the true cost of cheap clothes? Fast fashion has become a multibillion-dollar industry in recent decades, reshaping the world’s shopping habits. But the industry’s low prices disguise a staggering environmental cost.
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Is the coronavirus a zero-sum game in which we must choose between saving lives and saving the economy? In this episode, we sit down with two experts to find out.
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Is China exporting its authoritarian model to other countries? Is the “fast fashion” industry accelerating climate change? In season two, Why It Matters explores a new series of issues that are flying under the radar now, but won’t be for long.
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The worldwide spread of the new coronavirus has pulled back the curtain on the vulnerabilities of our interconnected world. Now we are left asking some basic questions. What lessons have we learned so far?
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NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
You’re making the rounds at a party when someone asks you about NATO. Is it still important? The alliance is credited with preventing a third world war, but a lot of us don’t know what it is or how it works. This episode takes a look at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization from the ground up, paired best with a cold drink. -
As climate change accelerates, some scientists are researching ways to alter our climate to slow down warming. But the method, called solar geoengineering, comes with some serious risks.
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The aftershocks of Russia’s interference in the 2016 U.S. election are still being felt today. Is the United States ready for future elections?
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Militaries around the world are designing artificial intelligence–powered weapons that could one day make their own decisions about who to target. The technology could change the scope of warfare, but at what cost?
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At the start of the new year, the Why It Matters team takes a look at some of the best interview segments that didn’t make it into the episodes.
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Public Health Threats and Pandemics
Antibiotics have saved untold millions of lives, but bacteria are learning to outsmart them at alarming rates. Projections show that by 2050, ten million people could die each year from antibiotic-resistant bacteria. -
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Women and girls are excluded from career paths in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This gender gap is causing the world to lose out on “the genius of half the population,” according to former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith.
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The first episode of CFR's new podcast, Why it Matters, takes a look at nuclear launch authority in the United States.
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For years, China processed more than half of the world’s plastic recycling. Then, in 2018, it stopped. Things have gotten messy since then.
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A U.S. president can launch a first-strike nuclear attack at any time and, according to the law, does not need to seek advice first. Some experts think that’s too much power to put in one person’s hands.
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Each episode breaks down an issue that is shaping our world’s future. Join host Gabrielle Sierra as she speaks with the leaders and thinkers who are facing these questions head on. Fueled by the minds at the Council on Foreign Relations, Why It Matters brings some of the world’s most compelling stories home to you.
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In 2018, CFR once again hosted high-level discussions of global affairs, from U.S. election security to the Iran-Saudi Arabia rivalry to the artificial intelligence race.