An online conversation with LTG Robert Ashley, USA (Ret.), 21st Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and MG Garrett Yee, USA (Ret.) About the speakers: Lieutenant General Robert P. Ashley, Jr. retired from the U.S. Army November 2020 after over 36 years of activity duty service as an intelligence officer. He assumed his last duty […]
As the nuclear threat heats up, we sit down with Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control & International. As the under secretary of state for arms control and international security from 2021 to 2024, Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins oversaw three bureaus: Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability; International Security and Nonproliferation (ISN); and […]
What is the region’s future, starting with Gaza and the West Bank? What will be the role of the US and countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt? The US has announced a 20-point plan for the region, and at this time, some would say that a ceasefire and the return of the Israeli […]
Join your fellow World Affairs Council of Austin members for Ukraine and Innovation at the Edge featuring Ross Guieb, Executive Director for the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex at the Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus in Bryan. This event is by invitation-only. Please notify us of your interest to receive an invitation by […]
Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul joins us on WorldNow with Jim Falk to explore the global rise of autocracy, new challenges posed by an assertive Russia and China, and an increasingly insular America – and what it all means for democracy and security in a changing world. In Autocrats vs. Democrats, Ambassador McFaul […]
In 1785, the US adopted the dollar sign as its official currency. Just three years later, in 1789, the very first dollar bill was issued. By 1791, Alexander Hamilton established the […]
Each year, The Economist publishes The World Ahead series: an informed prediction of the major themes that will dominate the coming year. Spanning topics from politics to technology to sociology and more, this series edited by Tom Standage is as ambitious as it is awe-inspiring. On December 8, Standage rejoins the Council to discuss his publication’s analysis for 2026. In conversation […]
Gunboat diplomacy, armed conflict, or all-out regime change? As tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continue to rachet up, all outcomes and more seem to be on the table. The U.S. has declared an armed conflict with Venezuela, increased military pressure in the Caribbean, and accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of heading Cartel de los […]
In his talk, David Firestein will examine how key U.S. assumptions about China and strategic aspirations and intentions have changed over the last ten to fifteen years and analyze and assess the […]
How did Mossad, Israel’s intelligence service, come to be one of the world’s most notorious and prominent players in global intelligence? Just look to Meir Dagan, the Mossad’s former director […]
The U.S. spends nearly a trillion dollars on its military each year, more than any other nation. Is it really keeping us safe? Bill Hartung, author and senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, argues that not only is America's high military spending not keeping America safe, but it is endangering both the […]
NEW DATE: February 4th In the decades to come, what will China's role be in the global world order? The relationship with the U.S. has been one of competition but […]
From the Marshall Plan, the Louisiana Purchase, and the creation of the United Nations to the bombing of Nagasaki, Indian Removal Act, and the invasion of Iraq, U.S. foreign policy decisions throughout its 250-year history have had an immense impact in reshaping our nation and the world. James Lindsay, Senior Fellow at the Council on […]
Competition on critical rare earth minerals has moved to the forefront of the global geopolitical landscape with many policy leaders and industry experts contending that this issue could be the […]
Join the World Affairs Council of Austin along with others interested in geopolitics, political risk, and critical rare earth mineral issues to hear from St. Edwards University students as they […]