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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260420T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260420T200000
DTSTAMP:20260428T113842
CREATED:20260327T233353Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260328T001335Z
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SUMMARY:World Now: The Iran War - What We Know\, What Comes Next
DESCRIPTION:With the U.S. and Iran now in open conflict and the world’s energy supply under threat\, the stakes could not be higher – or more uncertain. \nJoin us on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we sit down with Steven Cook\, senior Middle East expert at the Council on Foreign Relations; Amb. Deborah Jones\, U.S. Ambassador (ret.) to Kuwait and Libya; and Beth Sanner\, CNN National Security Contributor and former Deputy Director of National Intelligence. \nWe’ll explore what’s happened so far in the conflict with Iran\, what may happen next\, and the war’s long-term impact on the region and beyond. \nThe details:\nWhen: Monday\, April 20th | 7pm CDT\nWhere: Zoom Webinar\nREGISTER HERE\n  \nAs this program will be simulcast with KSFR’s The Forum\, it will begin one hour later than our usual start time. The Zoom link will open at 7:00 PM CDT\, and the program will get underway at 7:04 PM CDT. \n\nFeaturing\n \nSteven A. Cook \nSenior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies\, Council on Foreign Relations \nSteven Cook is Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He is an expert on Arab and Turkish politics as well as U.S.-Middle East policy. Cook is the author of The End of Ambition: America’s Past\, Present\, and Future in the Middle East.  \n\nAmb. Deborah Jones\nU.S. Ambassador (ret.) to Kuwait and Libya \nAmbassador Deborah Jones retired from the U.S. Department of State in 2016 with the rank of Career Minister following a 34-year diplomatic career that included assignments in Argentina\, Iraq\, Tunisia\, Syria\, Ethiopia\, the United Arab Emirates\, and Turkey\, as well as service as U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait and Libya. \n\n \nBeth Sanner\nDeputy Director of National Intelligence (2019-2021)\, National Security Contributor for CNN \nBeth Sanner\, a leading commentator and analyst of global affairs\, is a national security contributor for CNN\, director of geopolitics and strategy at International Capital Strategies. As Deputy Director of National Intelligence from April 2019 to March 2021\, Beth was the nation’s top intelligence analyst and also served as President Trump’s intelligence briefer during his first term. \nIn an intelligence career spanning three decades\, she was director of the President’s Daily Brief\, vice chair of the National Intelligence Council\, and a senior executive in CIA’s Directorate of Analysis\, before being appointed DDNI. She also served on the White House National Security Council staff and at the State Department. \nIn 2021\, Beth received the Presidential Rank Award\, the highest honor granted to civil servants\, for her leadership role in support of U.S. national security and the Distinguished Intelligence Service Medal\, the Intelligence Community’s highest award. \n\nModerated by\n\nJim Falk is President Emeritus of the World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth. Now residing in Santa Fe\, NM\, he is Vice Chairman of the Board of Global Santa Fe. Inaddition to hosting WorldNow with Jim Falk\, Jim produces and hosts The Forum\, a weekly talk show on KSFR-FM\, Santa Fe Public Radio. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. \n\nPresented by\n \n 
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/world-now-the-iran-war-what-we-know-what-comes-next/
LOCATION:ONLINE
CATEGORIES:Geopolitics,Middle East
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Portrait-Amb-Deborah-Jones.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="World Affairs Council of Connecticut":MAILTO:info@ctwac.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260422T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260422T200000
DTSTAMP:20260428T113843
CREATED:20260406T204212Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T223700Z
UID:14897-1776882600-1776888000@wacaustin.org
SUMMARY:Globalist Coffeehouse: Rare Earth Minerals and Global Geopolitics
DESCRIPTION:REMs (Rare Earth Minerals) and REEs (Rare Earth Elements) and their role in the global economic system and even national security will be defining issues in the decades ahead. The terms are used interchangeably. But the name is a misnomer\, as they are not rare. It is the mining and\, most importantly\, the processing into a component in magnets that can be effectively used in everything from EVs to data centers and AI\, which is complicated. Also\, there are national security issues; for example\, a single F-16 carries 100 lbs. of  REMs. \nThe mining process is very destructive\, but in Africa\, it is also economically viable for multinational corporations. What does it mean that the US has essentially pulled out of Africa and access to this resource? Currently\, the supply chain is on the other side of the world. China dominates the market\, producing 90% of the refined product and effectively setting the price. What are the implications of this situation? How does this play into the larger national security issue? \n\n\nPlease join us for a very interesting and surprisingly relevant discussion.
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/globalist-coffeehouse-rare-earth-minerals-and-global-geopolitics/
LOCATION:5280 Burger and Taphouse\, 7032 Wood Hollow Dr\, Austin\, TX\, 78731\, United States
CATEGORIES:Geopolitics,Member Social,Security
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Globalist-logo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260506T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260506T190000
DTSTAMP:20260428T113843
CREATED:20260415T180040Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T201629Z
UID:14943-1778090400-1778094000@wacaustin.org
SUMMARY:Young Professionals Career Development Webinar
DESCRIPTION:Join the World Affairs Council of Austin & San Antonio for a program on Future Careers in Foreign Service and Global Logistics! \nFeatured speakers Navy FAO Plans & Requirements Chief\, Jonathan Norris\, and President of Webber Air Cargo\, Michael Webber will share their fascinating journey’s and what it means to navigate highly complex scenarios in today’s interconnected world. \nChief Jonathan Norris experience previously included assignments in Azerbaijan\, Egypt\, as well as having been Military Advisor for the South-Central Asia Bureau. Currently\, Mr. Norris is the Federal Executive Fellow at the Clements Center for National Security at University of Texas at Austin. \nPresident of his own logistics company\, Michael Webber\, has provided cargo consulting to the largest U.S. international air cargo gateways\, such as LAX\, Chicago O’Hare\, Miami\, and New York JFK airports. Mr. Webber’s assignments included working in India\, Thailand\, the People’s Republic of China\, Kenya and Cape Verde. He has also worked in Jordan and Abu Dhabi\, as well as Brazil\, Costa Rica\, Ecuador\, Nicaragua and Panama.
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/young-professionals-career-development-webinar/
LOCATION:Online
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Career-Development-small.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260520T171500
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260520T181500
DTSTAMP:20260428T113843
CREATED:20260421T222345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T223955Z
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SUMMARY:WorldNow: The Global AI Race with Sebastian Mallaby
DESCRIPTION:Artificial intelligence is reshaping the global balance of power. What does the AI race mean for security\, power\, and the world economy? \n\n\n\n\nArtificial intelligence is reshaping the global balance of power. Nations are racing for advantage\, companies are competing for dominance\, and the quest for superintelligence is moving faster than ever. \nJoin us on WorldNow with Jim Falk as we sit down with Sebastian Mallaby\, author of The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis\, DeepMind\, & the Quest for Superintelligence and Senior Fellow for International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations. \nFrom the rise of DeepMind and Silicon Valley to the intensifying global race for AI dominance\, we’ll explore what this technological competition could mean for security\, power\, and the future of the world economy. \nThe details:\nWhen: Wednesday\, May 20 | 6:15pm-7:15pm Eastern \nWhere: Zoom Webinar \n\n\n\n\nREGISTER HERE\n\n\n\n\nThe Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis\, DeepMind\, and the Quest for Superintelligence by Sebastian Mallaby\nFrom one of our leading chroniclers of the intersection of innovation and capitalism\, a landmark reckoning—based on unprecedented access—with one of the world’s most brilliant and driven tech visionaries\, and his game-changing company. \n“A fascinating portrait of Demis Hassabis\, the influential thinker heading DeepMind\, Google’s AI research laboratory…Mallaby captures Hassabis’ curiosity and relentless drive\, weaving a vivid tapestry of collaborators\, competitors\, and engineers of modern AI systems…A tantalizing glimpse inside the pursuit of machine superintelligence.”–Kirkus Reviews\, starred review \nGet yourself a copy of The Infinity Machine on Bookshop.org and support your local bookstore \n\n\n\n\nPartners
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/worldnow-the-global-ai-race-with-sebastian-mallaby/
LOCATION:ONLINE
CATEGORIES:educational,Geopolitics,Security
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/WorldNow-logo.png
ORGANIZER;CN="World Affairs Council of Connecticut":MAILTO:info@ctwac.org
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260915T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260915T210000
DTSTAMP:20260428T113843
CREATED:20260409T234248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260418T020027Z
UID:14936-1789495200-1789506000@wacaustin.org
SUMMARY:Fiesta de El Grito de Independencia 2026 Celebration
DESCRIPTION:The World Affairs Council of Austin\, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Mexico\, the Austin-Saltillo Sister Cities Association\,  the City of Austin Econonic Development Department\, and Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation host the annual Fiesta de El Grito de Independencia. \nThis day marks the 216th anniversary of the declaration of independence from Spain by the Mexican priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. The event is free and open to the public. \nThe highlight of the evening will be when Consul General of Mexico Humberto Hernández Haddad reenacts the cry for independence.  The event will include music\, dance\, an artisan mercado with arts and crafts from México. \nNo RSVPs necessary.
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/fiesta-de-el-grito-de-independencia-2026-celebration/
LOCATION:Republic Square Park\, 422 Guadalupe Street\, Austin\, TX\, 78701\, United States
CATEGORIES:Cultural Heritage Series,educational,Mexico
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CG-HumbertoHernandezHaddad.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260919
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260920
DTSTAMP:20260428T113843
CREATED:20200713T171547Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T222748Z
UID:4115-1789776000-1789862399@wacaustin.org
SUMMARY:Full List of Upcoming Events for Members of the World Affairs Council of Austin
DESCRIPTION:Members\, please check your newsletter for registration details.  Non-members may join by visiting our Membership page. \n  \nApril — \n9th at 2:00 pm ONLINE Critical Rare Earth Minerals & Shifting Geopolitical Landscape // \n16th at 12:00 pm Student Presentations on Critical Rare Earth Minerals & Shifting Geopolitical Landscape // \n20th at 7:00 pm ONLINE World Now: The Iran War – What do we Know\, What Comes Next? // \n22nd at 6:30 pm Globalist Coffeehouse: Rare Earth Minerals and Geopolitics // \nMay — \n6th at 6:00 pm ONLINE Young Professionals Career Development Webinar // \n20th at 5:15 pm ONLINE WorldNow: The Global AI Race with Sebastian Mallaby // \n26th at 5:15 pm Susan Harper\, Consul General of Canada // \n  \nSeptember — \n15th at 6:00 pm Fiesta de El Grito de Independencia 2026 Celebration // \n  \nmore events will be listed as details and speakers are confirmed
URL:http://wacaustin.org/event/upcoming-events/
LOCATION:MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://wacaustin.org/wp2015/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/stack-of-newspapers-e1660848785693.jpg
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