Global I.q. Minute With Jim Falk

Yemen is a nation on the brink of collapse. Devastated by more than 5 years of civil war, the humanitarian situation in Yemen is dire. Economic volatility and conflict have stretched Yemenis’ ability to cope to the breaking point, leaving millions deeply vulnerable and famine a real threat. In the first half of 2021, about 16 million people face acute levels of food insecurity, with a return of famine-like conditions for the first time in two years. Over 24 million people rely on humanitarian assistance to get by. According to the 2021 Global Report on Food Crises—an analysis of global food insecurity by 16 partners including the United Nations World Food Programme—conflict remains the leading driver of hunger globally, with about 99 million severely hungry people living across 23 conflict-affected countries. If adequately funded this year, the United Nations World Food Programme aims to provide emergency food assistance to about 13 million people as well as malnutrition treatment and prevention to 3.3 millio

When Jean Becker closed up President Bush’s Houston office in 2019 after his death, she told the Houston Chronicle, “What a pleasure. What a journey.” In The Man I Knew, the former chief of staff to President George H. W. Bush shares an intimate look into the post-presidency of one of America’s most influential one-term presidents. Becker served as Bush 41’s chief of staff for nearly 25 years, handling monumental tasks like the opening of the George Bush Presidential Library in 1997 and overseeing the former president’s state funeral in 2018. From the perspective of one of the president’s closest confidantes, who was at his side when he died, The Man I Knew offers a behind-the-scenes look into how President Bush continued to lead a life of service after losing the 1992 election – going on to see his own son become president after him and serving as a mentor to Presidents Clinton and Obama. Jean Becker was chief of staff for President George H. W. Bush from 1994 until his death in 2018. In 1999, Becker took

Jason L. Riley’s biography of Sowell, Maverick, tells the story of the successful and provocative career of one of America’s foremost intellectuals and the experiences that shaped his insights and ideas. In Riley’s recently released companion documentary Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World, Larry Elder said of Sowell, “He is America’s greatest contemporary living philosopher.” Jason Riley is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs. He is the author of several books, as well as a columnist and editorial board member for the Wall Street Journal, which he joined in 1994. Riley is a commentator on Fox News and frequently appears on ABC, NBC, CNN, PBS, and NPR. He holds a B.A. in English from The State University of New York at Buffalo. Moderated by Talmage Boston Talmage is a partner in Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton, LLP's Dallas office who specializes in commercial litigation. He’s a past board member of the WAC of

In the early 1960s, President Kennedy said the United States was in an "hour of maximum danger," as the Soviet Union was winning the space race. Then, on February 20, 1962, Friendship 7 began its orbit of Earth. With astronaut John Glenn on board, Friendship 7 got America back into the space race at one of the tensest moments of the Cold War. Jeff Shesol draws on historical archives, interviews, and Glenn’s personal notes to tell the story of the mission that changed the dynamics of the space race and restored American confidence during the Cold War. Jeff Shesol’s two previous books, Supreme Power: Franklin Roosevelt vs. The Supreme Court and Mutual Contempt: Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, and the Feud That Defined a Decade, have won numerous awards. He also spent three years in the White House as one of President Clinton’s speechwriters. Shesol is a founding partner of West Wing Writers and formerly taught presidential history at Princeton University. He is a Rhodes Scholar who holds a master’s degree in h

Throughout her nine terms in Congress, Jane Harman served on all major security committees, including as a ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee in the years following the September 11 attacks. As a recognized expert on national security and public policy – with the resume to back it up – Harman has won numerous awards for her distinguished service. Now, in Insanity Defense, Harman recounts her decades on the national security front, arguing that no less than four presidential administrations have failed to address the most pressing threats to the nation. In a push to shift away from Cold War strategies, Harman lay outs her solutions for meeting the challenges of our times, in which rapidly advancing technology and multi-faceted global power structures may eventually redefine American dominance. Jane Harman served nine terms as a U.S. Representative in Congress. She resigned in 2011 to become the first female president and CEO at the Woodrow Wilson Center, where she spent the past decade. Harma

Number one bestselling author of ​The Boys in the Boat,Daniel James Brown has collaborated with a nonprofit that preserves the oral histories of formerly-interned Japanese Americans to produce Facing the Mountain, a heartbreaking and eye-opening account of four Japanese American families whose sons volunteered for the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, deploying to the frontlines of Europe while their families were imprisoned at home. A tale of Americans “striving, resisting,” “laying down their lives, and enduring,” Facing the Mountain shines a light on the bravery and patriotism of a few young men during one of the darkest moments in American history. Daniel James Brown is a narrative nonfiction author who has published three previous books that strive to bring historical events to life. He taught writing at San José State University. As a California native, he received a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.A. from University of California, Los Angeles. Moderated by Tom Ikeda, executive d

About the author: https://www.workman.com/authors/daniel-levin-1 Daniel Levin was at his office when he got a call from an acquaintance with an urgent, cryptic request to meet in Paris. A young man had gone missing in Syria. No government, embassy, or intelligence agency would help. Could he? Would he? So begins a suspenseful, shocking, and at times brutal true story of one man’s search to find a missing person in Syria over twenty tense days. Levin, a lawyer turned armed-conflict negotiator, uses his extensive contacts to chase leads throughout the Middle East, meeting with powerful sheikhs, drug lords, and sex traffickers in his pursuit of the truth. He also discovers remarkable people who retain their essential goodness and spirit in the face of adversity. 

In Proof of Life, Levin dives deep into a shadowy world where few have access—an underground industry of war where everything is for sale, including arms, drugs, and even people. He offers a fascinating study of how people use leverage to get what th

When Americans think of a global menace, one of two countries often comes to mind: China or Russia. These global powerhouses are two of the United States’ greatest adversaries on the world stage. But what are the risks they actually pose? In Spymaster’s Prism, 32-year CIA veteran Jack Devine details how Russia’s intelligence apparatus has continuously worked against American national security from the Cold War to the present. He uses the history of U.S. intelligence achievements and failures to help Americans understand what this adversary may be planning in the future. In a similar vein, geostrategic expert John Ward’s China’s Vision of Victory outlines the ways in which “the Chinese Communist Party is guiding a country of 1.4 billion people towards” the “great rejuvenation” of China and the downfall of American dominance. Combining their joint knowledge, Devine and Ward lay out the threats America currently faces, as well as what can be done to neutralize those threats. Jack Devine is a 32-year veteran of t

As one of the country’s leading authorities on American foreign policy and what goes on behind the scenes, James M. Lindsay has a wealth of knowledge about where the U.S. stands on the global stage, how it’s affected by shifting power dynamics, and how all these elements come together to shape our understanding of current issues. Lindsay is the co-author of The Empty Throne: America’s Abdication of Global Leadership and America Unbound: The Bush Revolution in Foreign Policy, for which he has won multiple awards. On his blog, The Water’s Edge, Lindsay writes about the ways in which politics influence U.S. foreign policy decisions and how those decisions affect global power structures and domestic politics – topics that are frequently discussed on Lindsay’s podcasts, The President’s Inbox and The World Next Week. A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Lindsay is a recipient of the Pew Faculty Fellowship in International Affairs, as well as the CFR International Affairs Fellowship. James M. Lindsay is s

When a new president is elected, administration officials change but the White House staff often does not. Many of these “White House lifers” maintain their roles for decades – like Dale Haney, the chief groundskeeper since 1972. In The Secret Life of the White House, Susannah Jacob paints a vivid picture of the daily life of the residence staff behind the scenes – illuminated with interviews from dozens of former and current longtime professionals. Jacob argues these individuals are symbols of the independence of the White House, conserving the legacies of past presidents and “continuing to do their jobs and serve whoever moves in.” Susannah Jacob is a writer and former speechwriter for President Barack Obama. As a Ph.D. student in Yale University’s Department of History, Jacob's interests focus on twentieth century America, labor, and political history. Her work has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and the New York Times. She holds a B.A. in history from the University of Texas at Austin. J

Fifty-three years after the phrase “Space! The final frontier…” entered U.S. pop culture via the television series “Star Trek,” the United States Space Force became the newest branch of the American Armed Forces. Operating within the Department of the Air Force, the USSF began developing military doctrine for space power and military space systems to protect the U.S. and its allies in space in December 2019. In an exclusive, members-only event, Lt. Gen. William J. Liquori will pull back the curtains for an inside view of how the need for a military presence in space came to be – followed by a look ahead to what’s in store for this exciting new endeavor. Lt. Gen. William J. Liquori is the deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, requirements, and analysis for the U.S. Space Force. Lt. Gen. Liquori’s service includes commanding a space operations squadron and the 50th Space Wing, as well as positions within the USAF Space Command, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the White House.

When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that companies and labor unions enjoy the same right to political speech as individuals, many restrictions on money in American politics were lifted. Super PACs now rule our political landscape and can pour hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns, as long as their efforts remain independent of candidates. The influx of large sums of money into politics can damage trust in government, suppress turnout, and put corporate interests before the interests of constituents. To what extent is this a uniquely American issue? How much influence is for sale and what can be done about it? Meridian Young Professionals are invited to join our virtual conversation with Ann Drumm of American Promise on the impact money has in our local and federal system and whether a new constitutional amendment is appropriate to combat this phenomenon. About Ann Drumm and American Promise: Ann Drumm is regional organizer for American Promise, a nati

Fiona Hill, one of the nation’s foremost experts on Russia, is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. She previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Russian Affairs on the National Security Council from 2017 through 2019. In November 2019, Hill testified before the House Intelligence Committee during the committee’s impeachment hearing. Dr. Hill has researched and published extensively on Russia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, specifically on issues related to regional conflicts and energy. She is the author of “The Siberian Curse: How Communist Planners Left Russia Out in the Cold” and “Energy Empire: Oil, Gas and Russia’s Revival.” Hill also co-authored “Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin” with Clifford Gaddy. Dr. Fiona Hill holds a master’s degree in Soviet studies and a doctorate in history from Harvard University. She also holds a master’s degree in Russian and modern history from St. Andrews University and has studied at the Maurice Thorez Inst

John Boehner was a small business owner when he first decided to run for elected office after witnessing what he considered the negative effects of “high taxes and red tape” on American entrepreneurs. After two decades in office, Boehner became Speaker of the House in 2011 and immediately found himself in opposition to President Obama’s vision for America. In On the House, Boehner reflects on his time in Congress, recounting the lessons of success and failure he has learned from leaders – from Gerald Ford to Joe Biden – he has encountered. John Boehner is the former Speaker of the House of Representatives (2011-2015). From 1991 until his resignation in October 2015, Boehner represented the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio as a Republican. In Congress, Boehner’s stated goals were a “smaller, less costly, and more accountable federal government.” Since 2016, he has been a senior strategic advisor at Squire Patton Boggs LLP. Moderated by Liz Brailsford, WACDFW President & CEO. . . Do you believe in the im

It’s no secret that China is in the midst of dynamic change. Through an incisive look at President Xi Jinping’s political and economic reforms, Elizabeth Economy analyzes that transformation as it’s occurring today. One of the nation’s foremost experts on Chinese domestic and foreign policy, Economy writes with authority in her latest book, “The Third Revolution,” about the widespread implications of China’s actions on the rest of the world. In an attempt to regain its past glory, Economy argues that China has embarked on a mission to reimagine global norms to better fit the vast nation’s “ambitious geostrategic objectives.” Elizabeth Economy was called by Politico Magazine one of the “10 Names That Matter on China Policy” in 2018. She is a senior fellow for China studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. Her work is widely published and she is the author of several books on China. Economy holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, an M.

A decade after the Arab Spring began in 2011, where does the Middle East stand today? At the time, the uprisings stunned the world and appeared to ignite a flame of freedom across the Arab world. But what came of the movements? From an ongoing civil war in Syria to the burgeoning democracy of Tunisia and reemerging protests in the region, the lasting effects of the Arab Spring span a wide range. In the western world, a debate continues as to whether the Arab Spring was a failure, a success, or if perhaps we are still in its midst. Scholar Steven Cook will delve into these questions and more, illuminating the reasons why this debate is important and what it means for U.S. policy. Steven Cook is the Enri Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he is also director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars. His work focuses on Arab and Turkish politics in addition to U.S.-Middle East policy, subjects abo

When so many of our home goods and clothing items are made in China, it may be a good idea to step back and understand how those goods actually get to us. In 2012, an Oregon mother, Julie Keith, came face to face with the reality of cheap American consumerism when an SOS letter from China fell out of a box of $5 Halloween decorations. The writer’s name was Sun Yi, an engineer imprisoned in a Chinese labor camp, where he was forced to carve foam headstones and stitch clothing for more than 15 hours a day as part of his “reeducation” by the Chinese government. In Made in China, Amelia Pang follows Sun Yi’s story, as well as those of others like him, tracking down China’s “falsified supply chains,” that start with gulag-like labor camps and end in American homes. Amelia Pang is an award-winning investigative journalist of Uyghur descent. She is an editor at EdTech Magazine. Her book, Made in China, to be released in February 2021, was shortlisted for the 2019 J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award by the Col

Our virtual conversation with former Secretary of Defense General Jim Mattis will be moderated by Council President Emeritus Jim Falk. General Mattis served as the 26th secretary of defense from January 2017 through December 2018 after retiring from his 43-year career as an infantry marine in 2013. Through his decades of experience, General Mattis has developed an acute understanding of American foreign policy and the United States’ role on the global stage and is a fierce advocate for education. . . Do you believe in the importance of international education and connections? The nonprofit World Affairs Council of Dallas/Fort Worth is supported by gifts from people like you, who share our passion for engaging in dialogue on global affairs and building bridges of understanding. While the Council is not currently charging admission for virtual events, we ask you to please consider making a one-time or recurring gift to help us keep the conversation going through informative public programs and targeted events f

Paul Haenle will discuss the factors driving the downturn in the U.S.-China relations in recent years and the outlook for the relationship under the Biden administration. He will share his perspective on how Washington and Beijing can chart a more constructive path forward for the relationship, analyzing areas of confrontation, competition, problem-solving, and cooperation. About Haenle: Taken from https://carnegietsinghua.org/experts/490 Paul Haenle holds the Maurice R. Greenberg Director’s Chair at the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center based at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. In addition to running the Carnegie–Tsinghua Center, Haenle is also an adjunct professor at Tsinghua, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses to Chinese and international students on international relations and global governance. Haenle also sits on the board of directors of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. Prior to joining Carnegie, he served from June 2007 to June 2009 as the director for China, Taiwa

Former military officers and award-winning authors Admiral James Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman have written a geopolitical thriller about an imagined naval clash between the U.S. and China in the South China Sea in 2034. Based upon “actual decisions already made,” the novel imagines how “a single technological leap forward” enables China to blind and bind our military. Jim Mattis’ review of the novel said, “…Jim Stavridis and Elliot Ackerman’s chilling novel presents a realistic series of miscalculations leading to the worst consequences. A sobering, cautionary tale for our time.” Jay Young is moderating this conversation. Contributors' Circle members will be able to spend an extra 15 minutes of Q&A time with Admiral Stavridis. James Stavridis is a four-star admiral whose 30 years in the U.S. Navy included postings as Supreme Allied Commander at NATO and Commander of U.S. Southern Command, where he led all U.S. military operations in Latin America. Admiral Stavridis is the author of nine books on the milit