Foreign Press Podcast

In our latest episode, writer and filmmaker Christopher Foss speaks with Robert Klitzman, the Director of the Masters of Bioethics Program and a member of the Division of Psychiatry, Law, and Ethics. Their conversation, focused largely on bioethics, touches upon the state of science (and scientific truth) in the United States at the current moment.

How do you turn breakthrough technology into real-world impact? In this episode, journalist Jennifer Freedman speaks with Craig Martell, CTO of Lockheed Martin, about innovation across academia, industry, government and defense.Martell explains why groundbreaking research is only the beginning and why understanding customer needs is essential to bringing new technologies to market. He shares how Lockheed Martin plans investments a decade ahead, balancing emerging technologies such as AI, quantum sensing and quantum computing against immediate priorities.Drawing lessons from the AI boom, he urges leaders to look beyond sweeping promises, evaluate evidence and distinguish practical applications from hype.

How much can government pressure shape the future of artificial intelligence?In our latest episode, Miguel Gomez, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, explores the growing conflict between the U.S. government and Anthropic over AI governance. His latest Hinrich Foundation research draws a striking parallel between today’s AI debate and the Crypto Wars of the 1990s. He warns that heavy-handed government intervention could weaken American innovation and global competitiveness. Gomez also considers what history can teach policymakers about balancing national security with technological progress. In conversation with journalist Jennifer Freedman, he examines the stakes of the emerging struggle over AI governance.This podcast episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode.

In this episode, Dr. Ian Storey, principal fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, discusses his latest Hinrich Foundation research on how Russia and China are using nuclear power projects to deepen their geopolitical influence in Southeast Asia. Through financing, technology, reactor construction, fuel supplies and long-term cooperation, Moscow and Beijing can establish strategic relationships that may last for generations. Speaking with journalist Jennifer Freedman, Dr. Storey examines why Southeast Asian governments are reconsidering nuclear power, the appeal and risks of Russian and Chinese technology, the long-term dependencies these projects could create, and how countries in the region are seeking to preserve their strategic autonomy amid intensifying competition between major powers.This podcast episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode. 

In the latest episode of the Foreign Press Podcast, produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation, Robert Atkinson, a senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), joins journalist Jennifer Freedman to discuss how China's state-directed economic model is reshaping global competition and challenging long-held assumptions about innovation, industrial policy, and technological leadership. Drawing on his latest research, Atkinson explains why China has become a manufacturing powerhouse, where the West still holds key advantages, and why he believes the United States and its allies must adopt a more coordinated industrial strategy to remain competitive.This episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode.

Is the U.S. dollar's reign as the world's dominant reserve currency coming to an end? In this episode of the Foreign Press Podcast, Stewart Paterson, economist and author of Hinrich Foundation research that examines the growing pressures reshaping the global financial system.Speaking with veteran journalist Roseanne Gerin, Paterson explores how weakening U.S. economic fundamentals, shifting geopolitical alliances, and rapid advances in financial technology are challenging the dollar's long-held supremacy. He also explains why China's renminbi is emerging as the dollar's most credible long-term rival—while outlining the structural barriers that continue to limit its global reach.This episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation.

Trade once anchored the US-China relationship—but can it still serve as a bridge in an era of deepening rivalry? In this episode of the Foreign Press Podcast, AFPC-USA speaks with Merle Hinrich, chair and founder of the Hinrich Foundation, about the growing trust deficit between the world's two largest economies. Joining the conversation is Ana Swanson, international trade reporter for The New York Times, who explores how globalization gave way to geopolitical competition. They discuss the fallout from President Donald Trump's recent visit to China, rising protectionism, industrial policy, rare earth export controls, and the future of global trade, analyzing whether the old model of engagement has come to an end.

The media industry is changing at a pace we’ve never seen before. Layoffs, shrinking newsrooms, the rise of the creator economy and new platforms like Substack are challenging what it means to be a journalist today. More reporters are leaving traditional media, or being forced to leave, and building independent brands. But can independence truly replace everything a newsroom provides? What do journalists gain, what do they lose, and what does this transformation mean for the future of journalism? To help us explore those questions, White House Correspondent Patrícia Vasconcellos interviewed Mallary Tenore Tarpley. Mallary is an award-winning journalist, journalism professor, and the author of the thought-provoking article "What Journalists Gain—and Lose—When They Go Independent." 

As tensions in the Middle East disrupted one of the world's most critical shipping routes, what did the Strait of Hormuz blockade reveal about the future of global trade and energy security? In this episode, ImportGenius Research Director William George discusses his latest Hinrich Foundation paper, co-authored with Lynn Hughes, examining how the crisis exposed stark differences in the resilience of Asian economies. He explains why China weathered the disruption relatively well, why Japan's energy strategy proved more resilient than expected, and why Vietnam emerged as one of the most vulnerable countries. The conversation also explores how shifting supply chains could accelerate Vietnam's adoption of Chinese renewable energy technologies and electric vehicles. George joins veteran journalist Roseanne Gerin to unpack what the Hormuz crisis says about energy security, geopolitical competition, and the realities of doing business in an increasingly multipolar world.This podcast episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode.

The 2025 U.S.-China trade war was about far more than tariffs. According to Georgetown University scholar Evan Medeiros, it marked a structural turning point in the relationship between the world's two largest economies. In this episode, Medeiros joins veteran journalist Roseanne Gerin to discuss his latest research paper, "A New Era of U.S.-China Interaction: From Competing to Racing," published by the National Bureau of Asian Research with support from the Hinrich Foundation. They explore how the trade conflict evolved into a broader supply-chain war, exposing vulnerabilities on both sides and reshaping competition over critical minerals, semiconductors, advanced technologies, and global manufacturing networks. Medeiros explains why the U.S. and China are now engaged in a "race for leverage," how economic interdependence is increasingly being weaponized, and what this means for policymakers, businesses, and the future of global trade. The conversation also examines China's push for self-sufficiency, America's evolving strategy toward Beijing, and the growing challenges of managing competition while maintaining coexistence.This podcast episode was produced in partnership with the Hinrich Foundation. AFPC-USA is solely responsible for the content of this episode.