The New York Times
Why Can’t New York Fix Penn Station? (comments by Marc Dunkelman)
Marc Dunkelman comments for The New York Times, “We’ve got a system that doesn’t have anyone who can actually make the decision."
In the News
Han Zhang contributed to a new study that found fans, not celebrities, are driving online nationalism in China’s social media sphere, according to Phys.org.
Ashutosh Varshney writes in The Print that New York Mayor Adhan Mamdani’s 2024 victory marks a rare rebuke of President Trump and signals a rise in Democratic power balancing progressive and moderate wings ahead of crucial midterm elections.
In The Boston Globe, Stephen Kinzer writes that U.S. threats against Venezuela are driven more by a strategy to weaken Cuba than by concerns about Venezuela itself.
Mark Blyth co-authored a Project Syndicate article arguing that affordable technologies like drones, smartphones, and solar power are reshaping global power dynamics by enabling smaller countries to challenge traditional military and economic dominance.
Security Dilemma Podcast
Losing a Taiwan War? (interview with Lyle Goldstein)
On the Security Dilemma podcast, Lyle Goldstein discussed his “Target Taiwan” paper series, which argues that a U.S.-China conflict over Taiwan could be costlier and less winnable for the United States than commonly believed.
In Stars and Stripes, Lyle Goldstein writes that while China’s new Fujian aircraft carrier marks major technological progress, it does not threaten U.S. national security or shift the overall military balance in the Asia-Pacific.
Reid Pauly told TIME that if the U.S. resumed nuclear weapons testing, it would make the world more dangerous by prompting other countries to follow suit, though Trump’s remarks likely referred to testing delivery systems rather than detonations.
Lyle Goldstein wrote in UnHerd that while the Trump-Xi meeting eased trade tensions and benefited U.S. businesses, it missed a crucial chance to address major security risks like Taiwan, North Korea, and nuclear rivalry.
Lyle Goldstein told ABC News that Trump’s comments reflect a new Cold War dynamic, warning that renewed nuclear testing would fuel global arms races, endanger the planet, and ultimately weaken U.S. security.
In The Print, Ashutosh Varshney writes that Bihar’s upcoming elections, rooted in the state’s long democratic history, will test whether India’s democracy resists or deepens its current backsliding.
A recent Salon article cites a report from the Costs of War project that found hate crimes against Muslims increased between 2000 and 2009.
In TIME, Lyle Goldstein warns that Taiwan’s push toward independence under President William Lai is escalating tensions with China and urges the U.S. to avoid risking war over the island.
Timothy Edgar told ABC News that relying on only a few major big tech cloud providers creates significant infrastructure vulnerabilities.
Ieva Jusionyte told The Boston Globe she will use her MacArthur “genius” grant to research how extraditing organized crime leaders from Latin America to the U.S. affects justice, calling it her most challenging project yet.
A Book with Legs Podcast
Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli - Inflation (interview with Mark Blyth)
Mark Blyth told the A Book with Legs podcast that inflation reflects broad economic shifts driven by modern forces beyond rising prices, as discussed in his new book Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers.
The Atlantic
The NIMBY in Chief (written by Marc Dunkelman)
Marc Dunkelman writes in The Atlantic that by blocking major New York infrastructure projects through burdensome regulations, Donald Trump has become the nation’s “NIMBY in chief,” undermining the development he once promised to accelerate.
In an article for Defense Priorities, Lyle Goldstein argues that the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting in South Korea offers a chance to ease U.S.-China tensions, urging Washington to return to the One China policy and pursue diplomatic restraint to prevent war over Taiwan.
In The Print, Ashutosh Varshney writes that the United States under Donald Trump represents more than democratic backsliding but less than a full revolution, as rapid institutional changes face limits from federalism, the judiciary, and a diverse civil society.
As a cease-fire begins, NPR cites new research from the Costs of War Project showing the U.S. has provided $21.7 billion in aid to Israel since Oct. 7, 2023.
Ieva Jusionyte spoke with NPR’s Here & Now about her research on border regions and her plans after receiving a 2025 MacArthur Fellowship.
Foreign Affairs
After Xi (co-authored by Tyler Jost)
In a piece co-authored for Foreign Affairs, Tyler Jost warns that China’s looming post–Xi Jinping succession could trigger internal power struggles, destabilize the regime, and reshape the country’s foreign and domestic policies.
The Foreign Affairs Interview
Tyler Jost & Daniel Mattingly: Xi Jinping's Successor and the Future of China (interview with Tyler Jost)
Tyler Jost joined the Foreign Affairs Interview podcast to discuss Xi Jinping’s consolidation of power, the risks of political succession in China, and how struggles over Xi’s legacy could shape the country’s future and global influence.
A recent Salon article cites a report on the impact of post-9/11 wars from the Costs of War project.
Ashutosh Varshney writes in The Print that Pakistan is experiencing a strategic resurgence through renewed ties with the U.S., China and Saudi Arabia, even as its economy remains weak.
Lyle Goldstein writes in Asia Times that while China and Russia are deepening ties, Beijing has resisted a full military alliance, showing restraint to avoid a new cold war.
Lyle Goldstein told The Washington Post that China views airborne assaults as “absolutely essential” for any invasion of Taiwan and sees Russian expertise as especially valuable after studying D-Day’s reliance on such tactics.
Real Clear Defense
Trump’s Opportunity To Re-Engage Kim Jong Un (written by Lyle Goldstein)
Lyle Goldstein writes in Real Clear Defense that while a Beijing parade with Xi, Putin, and Kim Jong-un raises concern, China’s ties with Russia and North Korea remain complex.
Lyle Goldstein told Stars and Stripes that China’s electromagnetic launch of stealth fighters marks an impressive naval advance but said the true military value of carriers remains questionable given their vulnerability to submarines, missiles and drones.
Lyle Goldstein told Defense News that China and Russia’s joint submarine patrol was a small-scale show of deterrence consistent with past cooperation, but not yet evidence of a deep military alliance.
In Bloomberg, Robert Blair said his research found little evidence that military policing reduces crime.
In The Hill, J. Brian Atwood wrote about Russia’s military actions and their implications for the U.S. and Europe.
Stephen Kinzer writes in The Boston Globe that while Trump may see Panama’s 1989 invasion as a model for ousting Nicolás Maduro, a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela would be far riskier and could spark a prolonged conflict.
War on the Rocks
The Coercive Assurance Dilemma (interview with Reid Pauly)
On the Thinking the Unthinkable podcast, Reid Pauly discussed the challenges of making promises as credible as threats in global security dynamics, from the Korean Peninsula to Taiwan.
Mark Blyth told Newsweek, “For normal people, it means next to nothing. For large borrowers or Wall Street players, it’s meaningful.”
Ohio Capital Journal cites a study led by Robert Blair that found little evidence to support the idea that military policing reduces crime.
In a co-authored piece for Project Syndicate, Mark Blyth says cutting U.S. interest rates is justified to ease the burden on low-income households, even as Trump’s pressure complicates the debate.
Lyle Goldstein writes in The Hill that U.S. interests would be better served by supporting a China-India rapprochement rather than viewing it as a zero-sum loss, since cooperation between the two Asian powers could ease tensions, boost trade and stabilize the global order.
Lyle Goldstein told the Washington Examiner that Trump’s pragmatic approach to China, including resisting hard-line hawks and praising Xi, reflects the costly reality of U.S.-China interdependence.
Responsible Statecraft
Big, Beautiful trillion dollar war budget! (Costs of War research cited)
Responsible Statecraft reported that the Costs of War Project found America’s post-9/11 wars have cost $8 trillion, killed and displaced hundreds of thousands, and left veterans with widespread physical and psychological injuries.
The Washington Times
9/11 was 24 years ago and the U.S. is still at war (comments by Stephanie Savell)
Stephanie Savell told The Washington Times it’s possible the Trump administration could invoke the 2001 military authorization to retroactively justify the Navy’s actions off Venezuela.
Pitchfork Economics
Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers (interview with Mark Blyth)
Mark Blyth told the Pitchfork Economics podcast that inflation stems from supply shocks, profiteering, and flawed economic theory, and argued for more equitable policies to address inequality.
Geri Augusto told USA Today the effort to expand Civil Rights Movement education is meant to keep the history from being erased.
Mark Blyth told the Drilled podcast that the Trump administration is pursuing a “carbon dominance” strategy to strand renewable assets, protect fossil fuels, and deepen the partisan struggle over energy.
John Friedman told The New York Times that the College Board’s decision to discontinue its tool identifying promising high school students from disadvantaged neighborhoods and schools could limit opportunities for those students.
Lyle Goldstein comments for Domino Theory, "We’re talking about, if not a revolution in naval warfare, then something approximating one."
A recent CounterPunch article cites a report from the Costs of War project on deaths related to the post-9/11 wars.
Marc Dunkelman writes in the Financial Times that the rise of authoritarianism stems less from ideology than from democracy’s repeated failure to deliver effective governance.