On the Record

On the Record

By Council on Foreign RelationsNews
Download on the App Store

On the Record episodes

  • On U.S. Military Leadership in a New Era of Defense

    As great-power competition intensifies and the prospect of conflict with China looms, military strength, technological innovation, and cooperation with allies are essential to ensuring U.S. national security. General Charles Q. Brown, Jr., 21st chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discusses the most pressing geopolitical challenges facing the United States and the world today.

     

    Background Reading:

    • This article outlines the risks of the United States’ dependence on China for critical minerals, and makes suggestions for how the United States can begin to compete in the space.

      •  

      Host: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations

       

      Guests: Charles Q. Brown, Jr., 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General, U.S. Air Force (Retired)

       

      Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

       

      To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEqSGjfMPy8 



      1 hr 2 min
    • On Ukraine’s Reconstruction

      As the war in Ukraine nears its fourth year, uncertainty is growing over the future of international support. Meanwhile, mounting pressure on Russia’s economy and an increase in high-tech, drone-centric warfare continue to bolster Ukraine’s defense. Experts from Ukraine and Europe discuss international financial initiatives to support Ukraine’s reconstruction and revitalize its infrastructure and economy in the aftermath of Russia’s military aggression.

       

      Background Reading: 

      • This report lays out strategies for rebuilding Ukraine, reintegrating workers, and growing the country’s economy post-war.

        •  

        Host: Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Senior Fellow, Center for Geoeconomic Studies at CFR

         

        Guests: Nadia Calviño, President, European Investment Bank

        Sergii Marchenko, Minister of Finance, Ukraine

        Odile Renaud-Basso, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

         

        Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

         

        To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/yySb8cSk7E8. 

         

        1 hr
      • On Navigating Crises Inside the Situation Room

        U.S. Department of State officials are the foremost representatives of U.S. interests around the world, helping to manage relationships with foreign governments, international organizations, and the people of other countries. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs Keren Yarhi-Milo discuss their new book, Inside the Situation Room, and lessons for future leaders navigating national security crises.

         

        Background Reading: 

        • This post unpacks leaked reform plans that the Donald Trump administration seeks to make to the State Department.

          •  

          Host: David Westin, Anchor, Bloomberg

           

          Guests: Hillary Rodham Clinton, 67th U.S. Secretary of State

          Keren Yarhi-Milo, Dean and Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Relations, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA)

          John J. Sullivan, Partner, Mayer Brown; Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State

           

          Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

           

          To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juwvr_yrwz4 



          1 hr 2 min
        • On the Future of the U.S. Economy

          In September 2025, the U.S. Federal Reserve approved a quarter-point interest rate cut. The move came amid a softening labor market, above-target inflation, heightened uncertainty about Trump’s trade and tariff policy, and other conditions that present significant challenges to monetary policymakers. Against this backdrop, Susan M. Collins, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, discusses the United States’ current economic outlook. 

           

          Background Reading: 

          • This backgrounder unpacks the role of the U.S. Federal Reserve, and its ongoing struggles with inflation and political scrutiny.

            •  

            Host: Seema Mody, Technology and Global Markets Correspondent, CNBC

             

            Guest: Susan M. Collins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

             

            Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

             

            To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJgEznKrwKY 

            1 hr
          • UN High Commissioner Volker Türk On Human Rights

            From Sudan to the war in Gaza, 2025 has seen the continuation of major humanitarian crises across the globe. Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, examines a range of these crises, while also exploring issues such as financing, reform, and declining multilateral consensus. 

             

            This conversation was hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. 

             

            Background Reading: 

            • This expert brief outlines the Trump administration's move away from UN human rights standards. 
            • This post discusses the most recent U.S. report on Human Rights Practices. 

              •  

              Host: Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

               

              Guest: Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

               

              Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

               

              To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/live/Hami3lD8MeY?si=8Uzbhk09q45hB8jC 

              1 hr 1 min
            • South African President Cyril Ramaphosa On Trade, Reform, and the BRICS Alliance

              Long before Trump retook the Oval Office, policymakers were concerned that South Africa's growing ties with Russia and China could undermine Washington’s strategic interests in the region. Against the backdrop of these concerns, President Cyril Ramaphosa examines South Africa’s domestic priorities, its bilateral trade relations with the United States, the future of BRICS, and the country’s role in Southern Africa.

               

              This conversation was hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. 

               

              Background Reading: 

              • This post unpacks the confrontational meeting between South African President Ramaphosa and U.S. President Trump in May 2025.

                •  

                Host: Richard Stengel, Political Analyst at MSNBC; Former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State

                 

                Guest: Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa

                 

                Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.


                To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD93mvqbnDI

                51 min
              • Canadian PM Mark Carney On NATO, Trade, and the Middle East

                The U.S.-Canadian relationship boasts a history of cooperation, peaceful borders, and strong trade ties. However, the partnership has come under strain during the second Trump administration, in part due to sweeping tariffs that have called into question Canada’s economic ties to Washington. Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Mark Carney discusses Canada’s role in NATO, the ongoing war in Gaza, Canada’s foreign policy priorities, and the new global economy. 

                 

                This conversation was hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations during the 80th United Nations General Assembly. 

                 

                Background Reading: 

                • This backgrounder unpacks Canada’s fraught trade relationship with the United States.
                • This timeline highlights the U.S.-Canada partnership over the last century, and how trade tensions and territorial disputes have strained relations in recent years.

                  •  

                  Host: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations

                   

                  Guest: Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada

                   

                  Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

                   

                  To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYYjz2hABZk 

                   

                  1 hr 2 min
                • On U.S. National Security Challenges

                  Since the start of the second Trump administration, the National Security Council (NSC) has seen its staff reduced from around 350 employees to fewer than 100, with dozens of policy experts abruptly dismissed or placed on administrative leave this May. Former U.S. National Security Advisors Thomas E. Donilon, Stephen J. Hadley, and Susan E. Rice unpack how the recent reorganization could affect U.S. foreign policy decision-making. 

                   

                  Background Reading:

                  • This backgrounder from CFR Education outlines the role of the U.S. National Security Council.

                    •  

                    Host: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations

                     

                    Guests: Susan E. Rice, Former National Security Advisor (2013–17); CFR Member

                     

                    Thomas E. Donilon, Former National Security Advisor (2010–13); Member, Board of Directors, Council on Foreign Relations

                     

                    Stephen J. Hadley, Former National Security Advisor (2005–09); CFR Member

                     

                    Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

                     

                    To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTvZJxAGnW4 

                    1 hr 3 min
                  • On Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis

                    Former UN Undersecretary-General Sigrid Kaag discusses the state of humanitarian assistance in Gaza and the role of the international community in supporting relief efforts.

                     

                    Background Reading:

                    • Malnutrition has reached alarming levels in Gaza, with famine declared in the territory’s most populated region. As Israel continues to block aid from entering Gaza, this backgrounder explains how hunger is now reportedly affecting more than just civilians on the ground. 
                    • As the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip continues, some countries have announced their intent to recognize the Palestinian territories as a sovereign nation, but full independence and UN membership remain elusive. This backgrounder unpacks the quest for Palestinian statehood.

                      •  

                      Host: Steven Kalin, Foreign Correspondent at the Wall Street Journal

                       

                      Guest: Sigrid Kaag, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process; Former United Nations Undersecretary-General

                       

                      Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

                       

                      To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPUiqLythfc 

                      59 min
                    • On Pope Leo XIV’s First 100 Days

                      Experts discuss Pope Leo XIV’s foreign policy priorities during his first 100 days and the Vatican’s evolving role in international diplomacy. 

                       

                      Host: Claire Giangravé, Vatican Reporter for Religion News Service

                       

                      Guests: Thomas J. Reese, Senior Analyst for Religion News Service

                       

                      Stephen Schneck, Commissioner of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

                       

                      George Weigel, Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center

                       

                      Want more comprehensive analysis of global news and events straight to your inbox? Subscribe to CFR’s Daily News Brief newsletter.

                       

                      To keep tabs on all CFR events, visit cfr.org/event. To watch this event, please visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYbURipvtj0 

                      1 hr 8 min

                    About On the Record

                    From the publisher's feed

                    A curated selection of thought-provoking events from the Council on Foreign Relations, featuring expert panels, keynote conversations, and global policy discussions.