This analysis includes commentary from Mark Blyth.
In the News
Pod Save America
Why are Democrats afraid of power (interview with Marc Dunkleman)
Marc Dunkleman discusses how Democrats — once they regain power — can make government work again with "Pod Save America" host Jon Lovett.
Responsible Statecraft
Spheres of influence for me, not for thee? (contribution from Lyle Goldstein)
Lyle Goldstein addresses spheres of influence and what happens when American interests collide with China's 'near abroad.'
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Controlling global oil — the backstory (interview with Jeff Colgan)
Jeff Colgan discusses the history of the politics and history behind supplying and denying oil.
Center for International Maritime Security
Leading the digital fight: How the Navy's IW community must innovate to win (co-written by Adam Reiffen)
Watson Military Fellow Adam Reiffen co-authored this piece on the need for the U.S. Navy to innovate in the realm of informational warfare.
John N. Friedman and his Opportunity Insights co-director, Raj Chetty, authored this article announcing TIME's new World's Top Universities of 2026 rankings. Brown was ranked No. 42 globally.
U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings
Why the US and South Korea will not jointly construct nuclear submarines (written by Lyle Goldstein)
In this op-ed in USNI Proceedings, Lyle Goldstein explains why a proposed partnership between the U.S. and South Korea to build nuclear submarines is not moving forward.
Omer Bartov provided commentary in this article.
In this op-ed for The Print, Ashutosh Varshney analyzes how the global order is changing and what India should do regarding economic issues.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
How aid groups are dealing with slashed USAID funding (commentary by Jennifer Hadden)
Jennifer Hadden offered commentary on U.S. foreign aid cuts to NGOs.
U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings
Russian and Chinese Threats to Greenland and the New Arctic Sea Routes Are Low (written by Lyle Goldstein)
In this op-ed in USNI Proceedings, Lyle Goldstein argues that while China-Russia cooperation in the maritime domain warrants monitoring, the naval threat to the Arctic and Greenland posed by this quasi-alliance is minimal.
In this article in The Guardian on power struggles within the Chinese military, Lyle Goldstein noted that China recently unveiled powerful new weapons and still has the capability to make a move against Taiwan.
Mark Blyth offered commentary on the emergence of BlackRock's Rick Rieder as a Federal Reserve frontrunner.
Lyle Goldstein commented that the corruption charges against Zhang Youxia, long seen as Xi Jinping’s closest military ally, raise questions about the stability of China's military leadership.
Timothy Edgar offered commentary on TikTok's algorithm
Lyle Goldstein offered commentary on China’s use of diesel submarines
Good Authority Podcast
Can climate policies survive the return of Trump? (interview with Jeff Colgan)
Jeff Colgan and Federica Genovese discuss what Trump's second term means for the ongoing global effort to combat climate change.
Mark Blyth commented on Donald Trump's approach to the Davos summit.
Mark Blyth offered commentary on the World Economic Forum.
Catherine Lutz offered commentary for this analysis of U.S. threats to seize Greenland.
Catherine Lutz offered commentary in this analysis of a new presidential executive order to curb arms industry stock buybacks.
In this broadcast interview, Mark Blyth spoke about the Department of Justice’s investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the trending politics of central banks around the world.
Jennifer Hadden co-authored this column about U.S. foreign aid cuts to NGOs.
Stephanie Savell comments on proposals to consolidate AFRICOM and other U.S. military foreign command units.
Jennifer Hadden co-authored this Policy Brief on the challenges facing NGOs for UNICEF as part of their 2026 Global Outlook for Children.
Stephen Kinzer speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about the implications of the recent U.S. attack on Venezuela.
Dany Bahar argues that now that Nicolas Maduro is out of power, there should be a bipartisan effort in Washington to help the country make a full transition to democracy and restore the rights of the Venezuelan people.
What On Earth Podcast
Will we ever stop fighting over oil? (comments by Jeff Colgan)
Jeff Colgan comments on the long history of wars fought over oil and "petro-imperialism" as the U.S. seeks to take control of Venezuela's oil reserves.
Stephen Kinzer says focus on Cuba has distorted U.S. foreign policy over generations, and it is happening again.
Steven Kinzer says without Venezuelan oil, Cuba's political system will finally collapse.
Lyle Goldstein comments on the numerical and qualitative superiority of China's naval forces compared to Taiwan as it engages in extensive war games in the region.
Mark Blyth told ABC News the delayed, incomplete jobs data released after the government shutdown should be treated with heavy skepticism, warning the numbers come with so many caveats they risk losing meaning.
Project Syndicate
The age of stagflation? (interview with Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan)
Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan discusses the steps emerging economies should take to protect themselves from the risk of stagflation created by current U.S. economic policies.
Dany Bahar writes in The Hill that Venezuela’s mass migration is driven by Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian rule and state collapse, not U.S. sanctions or pressure.
Lyle Goldstein comments for Newsweek, "I do believe that one reason the Chinese and Russians are getting along so well is that they have both faced substantial strategic pressure from 'excessive balancing' by the U.S. and its allies."
In The Print, Ashutosh Varshney analyzes the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy, highlighting its focus on cultural identity, skepticism of globalization, a tough stance on China, and a limited view of India’s role.
In an interview with NPR’s GBH, Ieva Jusionyte discusses the research that led to her receiving a MacArthur Fellowship — often called the “genius grant” — and what she plans to do with the funding.
In the Boston Globe, Stephen Kinzer writes that Donald Trump undermined his antidrug stance by pardoning former Honduran president and convicted drug kingpin Juan Orlando Hernández, contradicting his tough-on-trafficking rhetoric.
Marc Dunkelman argues in the New York Times that Trump’s assertive use of executive power exposes progressives’ conflicting views on government authority and should push them to rethink how public power is exercised.
The Nation recently reviewed “Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers,” a new book by Mark Blyth.
How to Fix It with John Avlon
America’s New Crisis: We Can’t Build (interview with Marc Dunkelman)
In an interview with How to Fix It, Marc Dunkelman tells John Avlon that America’s inability to build—from EV chargers to rail projects—stems from a fragmented, veto-heavy system that stalls progress and must be reformed to work again.
Cost of Living Podcast
When it comes to inflation, it's personal (interview with Mark Blyth)
Mark Blyth explained in a podcast interview how varying personal inflation experiences contribute to political polarization, while also discussing why Canadians are keeping their cars longer.
Stephen Kinzer argues in The Boston Globe that the Trump-backed Ukraine peace plan, despite criticism, is a realistic path to ending the war and should be embraced as a necessary compromise.
In an interview with Economic Times, Mark Blyth says climate change is a far bigger inflation risk than tariffs, as extreme heat, fossil-fuel influence and shifts in renewable tech disrupt economies worldwide.
Lyle Goldstein writes in Real Clear World that Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, may intensify U.S.-China tensions, particularly over Taiwan, due to her hawkish stance and push for a stronger Japanese military.
In a recent Newsweek article, Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan discussed the “K-shaped” recovery of the U.S. economy.
Lyle Goldstein told The Washington Post that China’s new 80,000-ton supercarrier marks “a new era” in Beijing’s naval power, further narrowing its capability gap with the United States.
Lyle Goldstein writes in Asia Times that a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela would likely backfire by boosting China’s influence in Latin America and deepening great-power tensions.