2026 In the News

Jeff Colgan spoke to Mother Jones about petro-imperialism, the role of oil in recent U.S. military actions, and the national security advantage of solar and wind power.

Stephanie Savell offered commentary on the conflict in Iran and comparisons to the war in Iraq.

Heidi Peltier provided commentary on the cost of the war in Iran on U.S. taxpayers

Stephanie Savell offered commentary in this article about the cost of U.S. military actions in Iran.

Lyle Goldstein offered commentary in this article on how China might target U.S. military assets in Asian countries in the event of a Taiwan Straight conflict.

Lyle Goldstein offered commentary in this article about Chinese Defense Chief Dong Jun's remarks that stressed prudence as the Xi-Trump summit looms, suggesting no imminent military action on Taiwan.

Ashutosh Varshney offered commentary on this article about Indian Prime Minister Modi's lack of influence over events in the Iran-U.S./Israel conflict.

A year after he left office, President Biden’s industrial policy is widely considered a failure. But the tools his administration developed are still in play and have defied a long-standing consensus about what is possible. In this paper, Andrew Schrank reevaluates the impact of "Bidenomics."

This article cites a recent report by the Costs of War project at the Watson School that estimates more journalists were killed in Gaza since the war began 2023 than during World Wars I and II combined.

Neta Crawford, co-director of the Costs of War project at the Watson School, noted that military activity contributes significantly to global emissions each year.

In this op-ed, Stephen Kinzer discusses the hope among some that Reza Pahlavi, the son of the shah who was deposed in 1979, could return to power and forge a pro-American regime in Tehran.

This commentary cited the Costs of War estimates that over 185,000 Iraqi civilians were killed during the Iraq War.

John N. Friedman spoke to Gill Eapen about Opportunity Insights for the Scientific Sense podcast.

Anzhela Kalsynova, a Brown graduate student in public health and public affairs, penned an op-ed arguing that private equity purchase of Rhode Island nursing homes has resulted in a lower standard of care at most facilities.

In this op-ed, Lyle Goldstein explains how the Taiwan legislature's recent refusal to increase defense spending reveals fissures on the island regarding its approach to China. He argues Americans need to be clear-eyed and realistic about Taiwan, and urges cautious deliberation over bombast and bromides.

Jeff Colgan was interviewed by a CBC reporter about the relationship between the Iran conflict and global oil markets.

This story on U.S. aid to Israel cited research from the Watson School's Costs of War Project.

This article cites data from a recent report by the Costs of War project at the Watson School on U.S. military aid and arms transfers to Israel.

This op-ed mentions an article written by Ieva Jusionyte in the wake of the Dec. 13 shootings, in which she discussed the difficulties in coming to terms with the tragedy, even as a scholar of gun violence.

This article cites a recent report by the Costs of War project at the Watson School that estimates the military’s operations in Iran cost between $2 billion and $2.25 billion in 2025.

In this article, Jeff Colgan placed the U.S. attack on Iran in the context of other instances of U.S. aggression against an oil-producing states.

This opinion piece cites data from a 2023 report by Brown’s Costs of War project.

In this article, Ieva Jusionyte offered commentary on how lax American gun laws mean weapons are readily available to buy and smuggle south of the border.

In this op-ed, Stephen Kinzer places Donald Trump's military action against Iran in the context of a long list of failed interventions in the Middle East.

Timothy Edgar offered commentary on data and privacy concerns about TikTok.

Ieva Jusionyte offered commentary in this article about the killing of cartel boss "El Mencho" and how violence in Mexico is fueled by U.S. guns and money.

Lyle Goldstein offered commentary for this article about how Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi turned China's hard-line stance on Taiwan into a major political victory for her party.

Lyle Goldstein offered commentary on concessions the Trump administration might make to an arms package for Taiwan as the administration seeks to strike a trade deal with China.

This article references a report by researchers at the Climate Solutions Lab

Heidi Peltier provided commentary in this article on the cost to U.S. taxpayers to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry and military presence there to stabilize the country and make it a safe enough investment.

In this op-ed, Lyle Goldstein argued that amid a bleak overall foreign policy picture, Trump’s decisive move back to ‘strategic ambiguity’ on Taiwan is part of a welcome shift toward moderation vis-a-vis China.

Dany Bahar discussed the evidence on refugees’ economic integration, and which policies help most with Giovanni Peri (U.C. Davis).

Lyle Goldstein offered commentary on the dynamics between China hawks and those advocating a more pragmatic approach within the Trump administration.

Lyle Goldstein offered commentary in this article on the politics of increased defense spending in Taiwan.

Lyle Goldstein commented on the CH YH-1000S, an unmanned vehicle that is considered capable of supplying combat troops, which completed its maiden flight over the weekend.

Ashutosh Varshney provided commentary in this article.

This analysis includes commentary from Mark Blyth.

Marc Dunkleman discusses how Democrats — once they regain power — can make government work again with "Pod Save America" host Jon Lovett.

Jeff Colgan discusses the history of the politics and history behind supplying and denying oil.

Lyle Goldstein addresses spheres of influence and what happens when American interests collide with China's 'near abroad.'

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, argue that elite universities are powerful pathways to leadership and economic success, yet admissions policies that favor wealth over academic merit limit socioeconomic diversity and undermine true meritocracy.

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.

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.

Jennifer Hadden offered commentary on U.S. foreign aid cuts to NGOs.