Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

The current status and the future of the war in Ukraine

Person i jacket that reads "War Crimes prosecutor"

A war crimes prosecutor examines the consequences of a Russian missile attack in central Odesa, Ukraine, on Nov. 25.

Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Ukraine is in the crosshairs of politics, domestically and globally. What is the status of this war, and what does the future hold for the Ukrainian people?

On Nov. 18, the Network for Responsible Public Policy hosted a virtual discussion to answer these questions and many more about the current situation on the ground, U.S. political sentiments and challenges, Russia’s threats to the region, its cozy relationship with some American leaders and more.


The speakers addressed the current situation, options and future for Ukraine.

The speakers were:

  • Timothy Frye, the Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy at Columbia University. He received a B.A. in Russian language and literature from Middlebury College, an M.I.A. from Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs, and a Ph.D. in political science from Columbia. His research and teaching interests are in comparative politics and political economy, focusing on the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. His most recent book is “ Weak Strongman: The Limits of Power in Putin’s Russia. He also edits Post-Soviet Affairs.”
  • Oxana Shevel is an associate professor of political science at Tufts University and director of the Tufts International Relations program. She is co-author (with Maria Popova) of a book on the root causes of the Russo-Ukrainian war, “ Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States.” Shevel serves as vice president of the Association for the Study of Nationalities and of the American Association for Ukrainian Studies.

Gideon Rose, the moderator, is the Mary and David Boies Distinguished Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was previously editor of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2021. He served as associate director for Near East and South Asian affairs on the staff of the National Security Council in 1994 and 1995.

Enjoy this insightful and important discussion and analysis of the war in Ukraine in which the speakers discussed the current situation (attitudes, strengths and weakness) in both Ukraine and Russia on the ground and politically, as well as scenarios that may be initiated by the Trump administration.

www.youtube.com

Read More

Trump’s anti-Venezuela actions lack strategy, justifiable targets and legal authorization
Screenshot from a video moments before US forces struck a boat in international waters off Venezuela, September 2.
Screenshot from a video moments before US forces struck a boat in international waters off Venezuela, September 2.

Trump’s anti-Venezuela actions lack strategy, justifiable targets and legal authorization

“I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re going to kill them. You know, they’re going to be, like, dead,” President Donald Trump said in late October 2025 of U.S. military strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea north of Venezuela.

The Trump administration asserted without providing any evidence that the boats were carrying illegal drugs. Fourteen boats that the administration alleged were being operated by drug traffickers have been struck, killing 43 people.

Keep ReadingShow less
An empty grocery cart in a market.

America faces its longest government shutdown as millions lose food, pay, and healthcare—while communities step up to help where Washington fails.

Getty Images, Kwangmoozaa

Longest U.S. Government Shutdown Sparks Nationwide Crisis

Congratulations to World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers! Americans love to watch their favorite sports teams win championships and set records. Well now Team USA is about to set a new record – for the longest government shutdown in history. As the shutdown enters its second month and the funds for government operations and programs run out, more and more Americans are starting to feel the pain.

Over the weekend, 42 million Americans – nearly one-eighth of the country – who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to feed themselves and their families, lost their food stamps for the first time in the program’s history. This is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program.

Keep ReadingShow less
U.S. Postal Service Cuts Funding for a Phoenix Mail Room Assisting Homeless People

Margarita Moreno works at the mail room in the Phoenix campus of Keys to Change, a collaborative of 15 nonprofit organizations that serve homeless people.

Credit: Ash Ponders for ProPublica

U.S. Postal Service Cuts Funding for a Phoenix Mail Room Assisting Homeless People

Carl Steiner walked to the window of a small gray building near downtown Phoenix and gave a worker his name. He stepped away with a box and a cellphone bill.

The box is what Steiner had come for: It contained black and red Reebok sneakers to use in his new warehouse job.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Quickest Way to Democratic Demise: A Permanent Emergency

U.S. President Donald Trump, October 20, 2025.

(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

The Quickest Way to Democratic Demise: A Permanent Emergency

In 2016, Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, declared an economic emergency to confront the country’s spiraling financial crisis. What was billed as a temporary measure quickly expanded – and never truly ended. The “state of emergency” was renewed repeatedly, granting the president sweeping authority to rule by decree. Venezuela’s legislature was sidelined, dissent was criminalized, and democratic institutions were hollowed out under the guise of crisis management.

That story may feel distant, but it’s a warning close to home. Emergencies demand swift, decisive action. In the face of natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or public health crises, strong executive leadership and emergency powers can save lives. Mayors, governors, and presidents must be able to cut through bureaucracy when every minute counts.

Keep ReadingShow less