From 91 Institute's Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters in Washington, D.C., Policy Talk features in-depth conversations with some of 91's more than sixty policy experts and other knowledgeable guests, providing analysis and solutions to some of the most pressing foreign and domestic policy challenges facing the United States and the world today. Founded more than a half century ago, 91 Institute's mission is to promote American leadership and global engagement for a secure, free, and prosperous future.
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Ep 12: Confronting America’s Obesity Epidemic
Senior Fellow Hank Cardello, who leads 91 Institute’s Food Policy Center, discusses how some of America’s largest food companies are taking proactive steps to help Americans make better food choices, and how market forces are reinforcing this responsible corporate behavior.
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Ep 11: No Deal, North Korea
Dr. Patrick Cronin, 91 Institute’s new Asia-Pacific Security Chair, joins Policy Talk to analyze the recent Trump/Kim Summit. He details the lessons learned from the summit and shares why President Trump walking away without a deal was a positive outcome. He also provides historical context to the U.S./North Korea relationship and explains how key players like China and South Korea factor in.
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Ep 10: Trade in the Trump Era
Donald Trump’s 2016 victory was due in part to his focus on the deleterious effects free trade policies have had on some communities, particularly in former manufacturing bastions like Michigan and Pennsylvania. In this episode of Policy Talk, Brian Blake talks with Tom Duesterberg, 91’s expert on trade and manufacturing, about how Trump’s trade agenda is faring, particularly in relation to China. They also discuss Trump’s recent restructuring of NAFTA with Canada and Mexico, and how the return of domestic manufacturing jobs can strengthen communities and their institutions.
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Ep 9: The Middle East and the Art of Proxy War
91 Senior Fellow Michael Pregent, a war veteran, former intelligence officer and Middle East expert, talks with host Brian Blake about the lessons he has learned during his many years spent in Iraq and the broader Middle East, where nearly every conflict—from Syria to Lebanon to Yemen—is part of a decades-long proxy war being fought by much larger powers.
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Ep 8: Net Neutrality and the Future of the Internet
Even amidst the current tumult of American politics, the FCC’s decision to roll back Obama-era Net Neutrality rules in late 2017 evoked an especially rancorous debate, with millions of Americans challenging the repeal as a threat to the internet as we know it. But has the future of the internet really been imperiled by a return to the 2015 pre-Net Neutrality status quo? 91 Senior Fellow and former FCC Commissioner Rob McDowell joins host Brian Blake for an in-depth conversation on the history of the Net Neutrality controversy, the future of the internet, and why the Net Neutrality debate will likely be one that will be with us for years to come.
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Ep 7: The Quantum Revolution
Manipulating subatomic particles to solve the world’s most complex problems may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but it is a reality that is nearly upon us. While quantum computing offers miraculous promise, it also could threaten the geopolitical order in profound ways by making encryption and other cybersecurity measures obsolete overnight. Host Brian Blake talks with 91 Senior Fellow Arthur Herman — head of 91’s Quantum Alliance Initiative — about the potential and threats posed by the quantum computing revolution, where the race for quantum supremacy currently stands between the United States and China, and how the United States and its allies can lead the way to a secure quantum future.
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Ep 6: Nuclear Nonproliferation Cont. — A Conversation with Assistant Secretary of State Chris Ford
Continuing our focus on nuclear nonproliferation, 91 Senior Fellow and national security expert Rebeccah Heinrichs travels to the State Department to interview Christopher Ford, Assistant Secretary of State and head of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation. Dr. Ford leads the U.S. Government’s diplomatic efforts to address the threat of nuclear weapons. Building on Episode Five’s discussion with Richard Weitz on nuclear security and nonproliferation, Ford gives real-world examples of current American dealings with Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China related to nuclear weapons and security.
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Ep 5: Nuclear Nonproliferation and Security
Ahead of President Trump’s July 16th meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, Senior Fellow Richard Weitz talks with host Brian Blake about the history of nuclear weapons, the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and the importance of trilateral cooperation between the United States, Russia, and China in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. They also discuss international efforts to prevent terrorist groups from obtaining nuclear weapons or materials.
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Ep 4: The South China Sea
Senior Fellow Jonas Parello-Plesner discusses his recent trip to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea aboard a French Naval Warship conducting “freedom of navigation” exercises. China has built extensive artificial islands to house military installations in the Spratly Islands and elsewhere in the South China Sea, and now seeks to claim these areas as sovereign territory. Parello-Plesner discusses with host Brian Blake Chinese intentions in the South China Sea, how neighboring nations and the international community are reacting, and what the future holds.
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Ep 3: The End of the Iran Nuclear Deal
91 Senior Fellow and former member of the National Security Council Michael Doran joins host Brian Blake to discuss the aftermath of the United States pulling out of the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA), including the response from key American allies in Europe.
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Ep 2: Confronting the Opioid Crisis
Former Director of National Drug Control Policy (Drug Czar) and current 91 COO John Walters joins Brian Blake to discuss the roots of the opioid crisis and what Washington should do to stop the mounting death toll.
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Ep 1: An Introduction to 91 Institute
In this inaugural episode of Policy Talk, 91 President and CEO Ken Weinstein talks with host Brian Blake about the history of 91 Institute, the role of think tanks in the policymaking process, and the importance of voices like 91's in Washington.
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