Council of Councils
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Social Issues
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Gendered Legacies of Control: How China’s Population Policies Reshaped Women’s LivesGuest Contributors are Tahina Montoya, a defense and policy researcher at RAND, and Kelly Atkinson, a political scientist at RAND.
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How Does Immigration Affect the U.S. Economy?Immigrants have long played a critical role in the U.S. economy, filling labor gaps, driving innovation, and exercising consumer spending power. But political debate over their economic contributions has ramped up under the second Trump administration.
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Mapping the U.S. Military Buildup Near VenezuelaThe United States has significantly increased its military presence near Venezuela, carrying out strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and threatening Nicolás Maduro’s regime with the possibility of invasion.
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A Guide to the Countries on Trump’s 2025 Travel Ban ListThe White House’s latest travel ban imposes restrictions on citizens from nineteen countries, many of which are contending with crises at home.
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ICE and Deportations: How Trump Is Reshaping Immigration EnforcementThe second Trump administration has significantly ramped up immigration enforcement, putting pressure on federal, state, and local agencies to meet the president’s deportation goals.
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Religion and the Nigerian CrisisThe question is not whether contemporary violence in northern Nigeria is motivated by religion; the real question is why the commentariat is loath to admit it.
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Teaching Hate in Palestinian SchoolsDespite repeated promises of reform, the school textbooks used in West Bank schools run by the Palestinian Authority continue to teach children hatred and to glorify violence.
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How Does Fentanyl Reach the United States?President Trump has imposed punitive measures on several countries in the name of curbing what he characterizes as high fentanyl flows into the United States. In reality, supplies of the drug—and related deaths—have sharply declined, though they are still at worrying levels.
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Trump’s Focus on Christians Misses Boko Haram’s Wider Threat in NigeriaThe Trump administration’s accusations that Nigeria is allowing targeted killings of Christians distract from the bigger problem of jihadist and other forms of indiscriminate violence.
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Open to Debate: Should the United States Militarize the War on Drugs?In a collaboration between CFR and Open to Debate, panelists debate the legal, moral, operational, and diplomatic trade-offs of the Trump administration's recently authorized military strikes against suspected drug trafficking vessels and its designation of certain cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Supporters argue this is a necessary deterrent and part of a broader strategy to treat narcotrafficking as a national security threat. Critics claim it violates domestic and international law, undermines sovereignty, risks civilian harm, and may provoke dangerous escalation. Under what circumstances, if any, is military force justified in combating drug trafficking networks? Open to Debate is the nation’s only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues. Please note there is no virtual component to this meeting. The recording of this debate will be posted on the CFR and Open to Debate websites and broadcast on NPR stations nationwide.
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Haiti’s Troubled Path to DevelopmentHobbled by foreign interventions, political instability, and natural disasters, the former French colony remains paralyzed by multiple crises and a deepening humanitarian disaster.
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How Does the U.S. Refugee System Work?The United States has long been considered a safe haven for refugees from around the world, but this could change in light of the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the country’s decades-old refugee resettlement program.
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A Concerning StandoffPresident Trump is right to draw attention to the plight of victims of Islamist terror in Nigeria, but a unilateral invasion of the country will be counterproductive.
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Fentanyl and the U.S. Opioid EpidemicOpioid addiction has become one of the United States’ biggest killers, endangering public health, the economy, and national security. But closing the floodgates on fentanyl poses a significant foreign policy challenge.
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Religion and Foreign Policy Webinar: Religious Persecution in ChinaBob (Xiqiu) Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid; Louisa C. Greve, director of global advocacy for the Uyghur Human Rights Project; and Cynthia Sun, senior researcher at the Falun Dafa Information Center, examine the Chinese government’s policies towards ethnic and religious minorities, exploring their implications for international human rights, global religious freedom, and U.S.-China relations. Sarah Cook, independent researcher and consultant, moderates the discussion.