Chris, Zack, and Melanie have a discussion about whether the United Nations can and should continue in its current form. Has it outlived its original purposes? Does it serve the interests of the United States and the world? Should the United States continue to reduce its presence at the UN, or should it work to make the international body more relevant and effective? What should be the focus of the Secretary-General who takes the helm in 2027?

Chris is appalled at the unserious leadership at the top of the FBI, Zack has a shoutout for Anthropic, which is working with the US government, financial institutions, and other major entities to understand their vulnerabilities to increasingly sophisticated AI, and Melanie objects to the obvious and growing corruption in Washington.

*The Net Assessment Podcast is hosted by the Stimson Center and produced by University FM.

Show Links:

• Jeremy Lott, "The president and the pope: Trump tangles with an American pontiff," Washington Examiner, April 17, 2026.

• Sarah Fitzpatrict, "The FBI Director Is MIA," The Atlantic, April 17, 2026.

• Christopher Preble and Lucas Ruiz, "Why Strategic Superiority (Still) Doesn't Matter: Nuclear Crises and the Failure of Theory," April 16, 2026.

• "Untangling the Web of US Alliances," Stimson Center, In-Person and Online Event, May 5, 2026.

• Peter Caddick-Adams, Can the United Nations Survive?", Engelsberg Ideas, April 15, 2026.

• Impact Exchange: Reimagining Economies Through Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, February 24, 2026.

• Volodymyr Zelensky, X post, April 19, 2026.

• Saikrishna Prakash, The Presidential Pardon: The Short Clause with a Long, Troubled History.