Conflict Minerals

“Modern war is almost a new missile age.” Missiles have played a crucial role in the Russia-Ukraine war, with Russia beginning to send mass missile salvos at command and control nodes, political centers, and even civilian targets. The CSIS Futures Lab has launched an innovative new project, the Russian Firepower Strike Tracker, that uses AI and data analysis to determine the success of these attacks and ways for Ukraine to fight back.CSIS’s Benjamin Jensen, director of the CSIS Futures Lab and senior fellow in the CSIS Defense and Security Department, joins the podcast to discuss the CSIS Russian Firepower Strike Tracker and how to quantify wartime tactics. Learn more about the tracker here: https://www.csis.org/programs/futures-lab/projects/russian-firepower-strike-tracker-analyzing-missile-attacks-ukraine

CSIS’s Charles Edel joins the podcast to discuss the Australian elections and what it means for the Trump administration and the United States.

CSIS’ Emily Harding joins the podcast to discuss observations from her recent visit to Ukraine including drone warfare, the state of the battlefield, U.S. and European support as well as the mining deal forged by President Trump and President Zelensky.

CSIS’s Phil Luck joins the podcast to discuss the U.S. national debt, why it matters and what the Trump administration and Congress can do to address it.

CSIS’s Ryan Berg joins the podcast to discuss the U.S. strategic interests in the Panama Canal, competition with China and potential outcomes.

"There's some real concern that if U.S. companies back away from selling in China, Chinese companies like Huawei could become dominant in this space and outsell us all over the world, which then hurts our competitiveness." China and the United States have quickly taken the lead in the global AI race, each acting as a hub for innovation in its own hemisphere. Which country comes out on top could be determined by how the White House shapes the future of U.S. AI policy. Josh Geltzer, former deputy White House counsel under President Biden and former legal advisor to the National Security Council, joins the podcast to discuss he similarities and differences between the Biden and Trump administrations' approaches to AI policy. He also explains the aspects of the global tech race that the federal government is most concerned about, including keeping the U.S. private sector at the forefront of AI innovation, how the government can use this technology both aggressively and responsively, and preventing the most advanced technologies from getting into the hands of adversaries.

“This is not good for China’s economy, but they have staying power, and I don’t see them backing down.” While the pandemic years were tough on China’s economy, the country has recently recovered financially, recording a 5 percent growth rate last year. China is also becoming increasingly less dependent on exports to the United States and is diversifying investments in Southeast Asia, putting it in a good position to weather the storm of U.S. tariffs. Scott Kennedy, CSIS senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics, joins the podcast to discuss the latest in the U.S.-China trade war, including China’s technological capabilities, new export controls, and the possibility of future decoupling.

"The President's 'Liberation Day' really shakes the foundation of the current system in the auto industry...if these tariffs stay on for any length of time, they could lead to a fundamental reordering of the U.S. market." The slate of tariffs recently announced by the White House will likely lead to rising costs for cars in the United States, especially for smaller and lower-priced vehicles. Some foreign auto makers are already pausing shipments to the United States, which also curtails choices for consumers. However, in the long term, the tariffs could be good for U.S. manufacturing if executed right. Dr. Monica Gorman, special assistant to President Biden for manufacturing and industrial policy and former deputy assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing, joins the podcast to discuss the impact of President Trump's tariffs on cars and how uncertainty can lead to market crisis.

CSIS’s Gracelin Baskaran joins the podcast to discuss China’s halt of critical minerals to the United States. In addition to consumer products, the Pentagon and defense contractors are heavily reliant on magnets and rare earth minerals mined or processed in China. Baskaran discusses the impact of this decision and more.

“We are in the Golden Age of digital assets.” More Americans than ever are investing in cryptocurrencies and digital assets, keeping the United States dominant in blockchain technologies. However, given market volatility and the decentralized nature of these assets, some lack confidence in dollar-denominated payment stablecoins as a viable investment. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) joins the podcast to discuss the STABLE Act, a piece of legislation he introduced with Rep. French Hill (R-AR) to support innovation and stability in the stablecoin space, protect consumers, and encourage the development of digital asset technologies.