This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Max Gallien, a political scientist specializing in informal and illegal economies and North African politics. He is a research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies and the International Centre for Tax and Development at the University of Sussex. Together, they discuss the political, social, and economic functions of smuggling economies in North Africa. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and Will Todman to discuss what factors lead Middle Eastern states to ignore, or even condone, smuggling by their citizens.Transcript, "Max Gallien: Black Markets of the Maghreb," CSIS, December 10, 2024.

On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, we look at what we can learn from the full slate of economic cabinet nominees for the incoming administration. We also dive into new export controls from BIS, China's response to the controls, and how Trump's threats of tariffs on Canada and Mexico will play out.

Mike hosts Jina Kim, Dean of Language and Diplomacy Division at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, to discuss South Korea's foreign policy and strategy in the Indo-Pacific.

According to Debt Justice and Christian Aid, 34 African countries spend more on external debt payments than on health or education. Seriously, how did we get here? Tim Jones (Policy Director at Debt Justice UK) walks us through the causes of Africa's debt crisis, its impact, and how it can be fixed. Tim is the co-author of the report "Between Life and Debt" by Christian Aid and Debt Justice UK. You can find the report here: https://www.christianaid.org.uk/news/between-life-and-debt.

Last weekend, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al Qaeda affiliate with a base in northwest Syria, launched a surprise offensive. The rebels captured Syria’s second-largest city, Aleppo, and headed toward Homs and Hama, two major population centers. The weekend’s battles mark the first significant shift of battle lines in Syria since 2020. With Russian and Syrian airstrikes on rebel strongholds picking up, Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the regional and geostrategic implications of a possibly new phase in Syria’s 13-year civil war.

In this episode of Pekingology, originally released on April 21, 2022, Freeman Chair Jude Blanchette is joined by Lizhi Liu, Assistant Professor in the McDonough School of Business and a faculty affiliate of the Department of Government at Georgetown University, to discuss her paper, The Rise of Data Politics: Digital China and the World.

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Arwa Damon, a former CNN international correspondent and founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance (INARA). She talks with Jon from Gaza. Together, they discuss her two decades of work in war zones and the effects of war on the young children her charity supports. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Martin Pimentel and Natasha Hall to discuss the challenges of humanitarian work in war zones. Transcript, "Arwa Damon: Gaza’s Wounds," CSIS, November 26, 2024.

On this week's episode of the Trade Guys, we comment on the current and potential nominees for trade-relevant cabinet positions. We then dig into why Vietnam will be a target for trade actions under the incoming administration and how China might respond to anticipated tariff hikes.

In this episode, we discuss recent reporting that so called "scaling laws" are slowing and the potential implications for the policy community (0:37), the latest models coming out of the China AI ecosystem (12:37), the U.S. China - Economic Security Review Commission recommendation for a Manhattan Project for AI (19:02), and the biggest takeaways from the first draft of the European Union's General Purpose AI Code of Practice (25:46)https://www.csis.org/analysis/eu-code-practice-general-purpose-ai-key-takeaways-first-drafthttps://www.csis.org/analysis/ai-safety-institute-international-network-next-steps-and-recommendationshttps://www.csis.org/analysis/understanding-military-ai-ecosystem-ukrainehttps://www.csis.org/events/international-ai-policy-outlook-2025Correction: hyperscalers Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are expected to invest $300 billion in AI and AI infrastructure in 2025.

In this episode, Mariana is joined by Sarah Calhoun, founder of Red Ants Pants, a Montana-based retailer meeting the needs of working women across the country. Together, they discuss the power of serendipity, the value of mentorship, and the experience of starting a business in a state with more entrepreneurs per capita than any other in America. They also delve into the challenges of expanding from rural Montana—navigating the dilemma of manufacturing abroad, transitioning from brick-and-mortar to digital platforms, and raising sufficient capital. Additionally, they reflect on mistakes made along the way and examine the profound impact a single person can have in strengthening a community.