In The Big Steal: Ideology, Interest, and the Undoing of Intellectual Property , Professor Jonathan Barnett shows how an “accidental alliance” of tech platforms, academics, and advocacy groups weakened intellectual property (IP) protections for inventors and artists. Under the popular slogan that “information wants to be free,” many people in academia and the tech community advocated for actions by the United States Supreme Court, Congress, and antitrust agencies that eroded IP rights as digital...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 644
Southeast Asia is increasingly important to both Japan and the United States thanks to the region’s economic growth and proximity to key shipping lanes and geopolitical flashpoints. As such, in April 2024 the US, Japan, and the Philippines signed a trilateral agreement to expand investments and maritime security initiatives. Future US and Japanese engagement in Southeast Asia should adopt a similar approach to address growing security and economic concerns in the region. Hudson’s Japan Chair wil...
Feb 12, 2025•59 min•Ep. 643
President Donald Trump’s post-war plan for Gaza has electrified Israel and given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a political victory. But is this what the prime minister hoped to bring home? Meanwhile, President Trump’s Middle East agenda seems to include negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Do President Trump’s plans for Tehran dovetail with PM Netanyahu’s? Or is there hidden friction? To explore these questions, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Director Michael Do...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 642
On Friday, President Donald Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the White House for the first summit of the second Trump administration. Increasing challenges in the Indo-Pacific necessitate greater economic and security cooperation between the United States and its most important ally, Japan. Hudson will welcome Senator Bill Hagerty, who served as ambassador to Japan in the first Trump administration, for remarks on the Japan Chair’s recent report, Past Lessons and Future ...
Feb 06, 2025•43 min•Ep. 641
Petro Poroshenko became the fifth president of Ukraine in 2014, just after the Revolution of Dignity, and served until 2019, three years before Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country. After his election, many in the West learned of President Poroshenko as the chocolate king thanks to his confectionary company. But those who followed Ukraine’s post–Cold War development also knew him as a member of the Ukrainian Rada and a minister in multiple presidential administrations. Today President Por...
Feb 05, 2025•55 min•Ep. 640
Three years into the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces remain unable to achieve major advances on the battlefield, and Moscow’s economy is increasingly weak. President Donald Trump has threatened to increase pressure on Russia if the Kremlin does not negotiate an end to the war. But President Vladimir Putin shows no interest whatsoever in doing so and continues to message maximalist goals of annexing Ukraine. The West’s approach to the war will depend in part on its assess...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 640
Join Hudson for an event to launch a new policy memo coauthored by Olivia Enos, Sophie Richardson, and Anouk Wear: “Prioritizing Human Rights in US Policy toward China: A Guide for the Next Administration.” The event will discuss the report’s findings and its recommendations for challenging the Chinese Communist Party over its deepening repression inside and outside the country. Senior Fellow Michael Sobolik will moderate the discussion.
Jan 29, 2025•53 min•Ep. 639
Jill Hruby, the under secretary for nuclear security of the United States Department of Energy and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, helps guide the US nuclear security mission. In her roles, she works to deliver modernized weapons on schedule, revitalize the nuclear production complex, and develop advanced capabilities to enhance security. Join Hudson for a discussion with Administrator Hruby on the state of America’s nuclear enterprise.
Jan 28, 2025•48 min•Ep. 639
Mass demonstrations have been sweeping through Georgia since the country’s parliamentary elections in late October, which observers widely regard as fraudulent. The crisis escalated in November when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia would suspend its European Union membership talks until at least 2028. In recent years, Kobakhidze’s Georgian Dream party has embraced a pro-Kremlin stance, denouncing Western sanctions against Moscow, deepening Georgia’s economic ties with Russ...
Jan 09, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 638
The United States and its allies face increasingly capable adversaries who have benefited from the recent proliferation of military technologies and a range of geographic advantages. The Pentagon cannot roll back technology, change the map, or out-build an opponent like China, so US forces will need to gain an edge through operational creativity and leveraging the software and commercial industries that make America’s economy the world’s largest and most vibrant. The Chief Digital and Artificial...
Dec 20, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 637
America’s and Taiwan’s economic and security interests are fundamentally interconnected. While Taiwan is not the United States’ largest trading partner, Taiwanese-manufactured semiconductors are essential to US industry. Taiwanese companies are also investing more in US semiconductor manufacturing, advancing America’s ability to produce the most powerful semiconductors domestically. Finally, eight years of growing relations and ongoing trade and tax negotiations inspire optimism about the partne...
Dec 20, 2024•47 min•Ep. 637
The Chinese Communist Party’s successful efforts to breach American telecommunications networks, target critical infrastructure, and support a fentanyl epidemic that has now killed hundreds of thousands of Americans show that China poses a considerable threat to the United States. To overcome the threat posed by the People’s Republic of China and its axis of partners, Washington needs a strategy to counter these homeland threats in addition to a broader American grand strategy. Congressman Mark ...
Dec 19, 2024•51 min•Ep. 636
The Pentagon began the Replicator Initiative in August 2023 to rapidly field and scale existing technologies to address high-priority operational problems. In the last year, Replicator 1 has put numerous aerial and naval drones into the hands of American operators. The recently announced Replicator 2 will address one of the most challenging threats to the United States and allied militaries by fielding existing counter-drone systems at scale. By tapping into commercial software and hardware prod...
Dec 13, 2024•57 min•Ep. 635
Join Hudson for a discussion with renowned intellectual property experts including former United States Patent and Trademark Office Director Andrei Iancu, Dinsmore’s Brian O’Shaughnessy, and the Special Competitive Studies Project’s Rama Elluru. They will explore potential policy changes, challenges, and opportunities for the innovation and creative sectors in the new administration.
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 635
Hudson Institute’s China Center, the National Security Institute, and the International Republican Institute will cohost an event with human rights advocates and national security experts to address China’s escalating campaign of domestic and international repression. The discussion will cover China’s use of economic sanctions, surveillance, and coercion to silence critics, especially those who risk their lives and freedom to advocate for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law....
Dec 12, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 635
As 2025 approaches, the new United States presidential administration will need to define and implement a new approach to the world’s two most populous nations, India and China. As decades of US economic engagement with Communist China give way to global competition, India’s rise as an economic and military partner presents new opportunities for American grand strategy. Understanding the rivalry between Asia’s largest nations will be critical in a potentially pivotal year. Join Hudson’s Dr. Apar...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 634
Since the October 7 attack, Israel has been engaged in a multifront war against Iran and its resistance axis proxies. While Israel has notched significant successes—neutralizing Hamas, crippling Hezbollah, and undermining Iran’s strategic posture—Jerusalem still faces substantial threats. Join Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Director Michael Doran for a conversation with Brigadier General (res.) Amir Avivi on the Israeli military’s achievements, the evolving strategic landscape ...
Dec 11, 2024•59 min•Ep. 633
The United States is growing increasingly concerned over the security of Taiwan. While Taipei is not a US treaty ally, peace and stability around the island serve America’s political, security, and economic interests. But the People’s Republic of China is increasingly threatening Taiwan’s democratic political system, territorial security, and free economy. Will new administrations in Taipei and Washington deepen the nations’ relationship? Or will new challenges emerge? What does Taiwan need to b...
Dec 11, 2024•51 min•Ep. 633
In 2018, President Donald Trump signed into law the National Quantum Initiative (NQI), which set aside $1.2 billion to advance quantum technology and information science. Almost six years later, the NQI reauthorization bill, which will extend federal support for this technology that promises to transform economic and national security, awaits approval by Congress and the president. Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellow and Director of the Quantum Alliance Initiative Arthur Herman and a panel of le...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 632
Moldova recently held presidential elections and a national referendum on the country’s possible European Union membership. In both cases, Moldovans voted for the Euro-Atlantic cause. Still, the country faces a number of challenges, including Russian hybrid warfare and political meddling. Additionally, Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine threatens Moldova’s security. Next year the country will hold important parliamentary elections, which Russia will doubtlessly try to undermine using disinformation. T...
Dec 05, 2024•57 min•Ep. 631
In December 2023, Nippon Steel agreed to purchase US Steel for $14.9 billion and to invest an additional $2.7 billion in local plants. Many supported the deal because it would strengthen the American steel industry and protect the United States market from Chinese dumping. But United Steel Workers (USW) leadership joined various national politicians in opposition to the deal. Media coverage of this issue has undervalued the perspectives of union steelworkers and their communities. Hudson’s Japan...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 631
Join Director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East Michael Doran for a conversation with United States Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC), senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. They will discuss the post–October 7 Middle East and the current state of US-Israel relations.
Dec 04, 2024•59 min•Ep. 630
In the 100 years since the 1924 Rogers Act, many reforms have been proposed to make the Foreign Service more effective. Congress this year funded the bipartisan Congressional Commission on Reform and Modernization of the Department of State to “examine the changing nature of diplomacy and the ways in which the department can modernize to advance the interests of the United States.” In recent years, prominent former foreign service officers have published studies on how to strengthen the Foreign ...
Dec 04, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 630
Earlier this year, international headlines reported that Nicaraguan human rights leader Bishop Rolando José Álvarez was exiled. The Nicaraguan regime had recently thrown him and hundreds of Nicaraguan priests into prison without basic due process for spurious, political reasons. But media coverage did not evaluate how this persecution fits into a pattern of repression found today in China, Cuba, Venezuela, and other Communist and Marxist governments. Religious persecution has been a feature of s...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 629
On August 6, Ukraine launched an audacious military operation into Russia’s Kursk Oblast. One hundred days later, the Ukrainians still hold a sizeable chunk of Russian territory. The operation has achieved its initial objectives: changing the narrative of the conflict, reminding the world that Ukraine can succeed on the battlefield, and forcing Russia to commit resources to Kursk that could otherwise be used elsewhere. But Russia has started a counteroffensive in the region with the help of 10,0...
Nov 26, 2024•40 min•Ep. 629
The United States’ abundant natural resources will be crucial to gaining the upper hand in America’s strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China. But to leverage these resources, the US needs to rebuild its domestic rare earths and critical minerals industries. Hudson’s Mike Gallagher will host James Litinsky, founder, chairman, and CEO of MP Materials, to discuss the role of these vital resources in PRC-US competition and what Washington can do to emerge victorious.
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 628
Hudson Institute is pleased to host the launch of Hong Kong Watch’s latest report, Invisible Decline: Violations of Digital Rights in Hong Kong and Their Impact . In the report, Anouk Wear examines how digital rights in Hong Kong have declined amid the Chinese government’s crackdown and what the United States and the international community can do to defend freedom in Hong Kong. Join Hudson for an expert panel event that will discuss the report and its implications.
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 628
In The Myth of American Inequality: How Government Biases Policy Debate , which the Wall Street Journal named a best book of 2022, former United States Senator Phil Gramm, Robert Ekelund, and John Early challenge popular notions about income inequality and its effect on Americans. The Myth of American Inequality shows “ that the way we collect and report statistics has significantly overstated inequality and understated national well-being” and “ that the explosion of transfer payments following...
Nov 26, 2024•55 min•Ep. 628
President-elect Donald Trump will bring a new agenda and a different approach to the United States’ alliances compared to the outgoing Biden administration. How should the second Trump administration balance US national security interests while building on Washington’s strong alliance with the Republic of Korea (ROK)? The two governments recently “reaffirmed the shared vision, common values, and unwavering commitment to their combined defense posture and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) as the be...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 627
The next four years of American foreign policy will be crucial. From Afghanistan to Ukraine to Israel, the Biden administration failed to fulfill its commitments, and China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea have seized on this opportunity to increase their collaboration. America’s global allies and partners have looked on nervously as this axis of authoritarians developed into a major threat to the American-led world order. Distinguished Fellow Mike Gallagher will join Palantir Chief Technology Off...
Nov 22, 2024•46 min•Ep. 627
