The Truth of the Matter

CSIS

4.3 (234)
GOVERNMENT
UPDATED WEEKLY

A weekly analysis of the complex policy issues driving the news.

4D AGO

Can Policy Win the AI Race?

"There's some real concern that if U.S. companies back away from selling in China, Chinese companies like Huawei could become dominant in this space and outsell us all over the world, which then hurts our competitiveness." China and the United States have quickly taken the lead in the global AI race, each acting as a hub for innovation in its own hemisphere. Which country comes out on top could be determined by how the White House shapes the future of U.S. AI policy. Josh Geltzer, former deputy White House counsel under President Biden and former legal advisor to the National Security Council, joins the podcast to discuss he similarities and differences between the Biden and Trump administrations' approaches to AI policy. He also explains the aspects of the global tech race that the federal government is most concerned about, including keeping the U.S. private sector at the forefront of AI innovation, how the government can use this technology both aggressively and responsively, and preventing the most advanced technologies from getting into the hands of adversaries.

22 min
APR 17

China Weathers the Storm of U.S. Tariffs

“This is not good for China’s economy, but they have staying power, and I don’t see them backing down.” While the pandemic years were tough on China’s economy, the country has recently recovered financially, recording a 5 percent growth rate last year. China is also becoming increasingly less dependent on exports to the United States and is diversifying investments in Southeast Asia, putting it in a good position to weather the storm of U.S. tariffs. Scott Kennedy, CSIS senior adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics, joins the podcast to discuss the latest in the U.S.-China trade war, including China’s technological capabilities, new export controls, and the possibility of future decoupling.

19 min
APR 15

Auto Tariffs Threaten to Drive Up Prices

"The President's 'Liberation Day' really shakes the foundation of the current system in the auto industry...if these tariffs stay on for any length of time, they could lead to a fundamental reordering of the U.S. market." The slate of tariffs recently announced by the White House will likely lead to rising costs for cars in the United States, especially for smaller and lower-priced vehicles. Some foreign auto makers are already pausing shipments to the United States, which also curtails choices for consumers. However, in the long term, the tariffs could be good for U.S. manufacturing if executed right. Dr. Monica Gorman, special assistant to President Biden for manufacturing and industrial policy and former deputy assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing, joins the podcast to discuss the impact of President Trump's tariffs on cars and how uncertainty can lead to market crisis.

23 min
APR 15

China’s Halt of Critical Minerals

CSIS’s Gracelin Baskaran joins the podcast to discuss China’s halt of critical minerals to the United States. In addition to consumer products, the Pentagon and defense contractors are heavily reliant on magnets and rare earth minerals mined or processed in China. Baskaran discusses the impact of this decision and more.

20 min
APR 11

Rep. Bryan Steil on STABLE Act

“We are in the Golden Age of digital assets.” More Americans than ever are investing in cryptocurrencies and digital assets, keeping the United States dominant in blockchain technologies. However, given market volatility and the decentralized nature of these assets, some lack confidence in dollar-denominated payment stablecoins as a viable investment. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) joins the podcast to discuss the STABLE Act, a piece of legislation he introduced with Rep. French Hill (R-AR) to support innovation and stability in the stablecoin space, protect consumers, and encourage the development of digital asset technologies.

23 min
APR 8

Liberation Day Fallout and What Comes Next

In this special crossover episode with CSIS podcast, The Trade Guys, Bill Reinsch and Scott Miller unpack the latest news about the impacts of the Trump administration’s reciprocal tariffs and how markets, trading partners, and consumers will respond.

31 min
APR 7

Mark Penn Polls and the Future of News

Stagwell CEO and longtime pollster/strategist talks about his latest Harvard CAPS/Harris poll findings plus a discussion about the future of news.

23 min
APR 4

South Korea’s Quiet Crisis and Trade with the U.S.

CSIS’ Victor Cha joins the podcast to discuss South Korea’s “Quiet Crisis” of leadership and the vacuum in wake of President Yoon’s impeachment, plus, the impact of President Trump’s tariffs while the ROK seeks to elect its next leader over the next two months.

7 min

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4.3

out of 5

234 Ratings

Love to listen but the sound mixing is an issue

11/03/2024

sappho1900

This show is a wonderful resource to keep myself up to date on what is often not flushed out in detail on the regular news programs. My only critique is that the audio is often a nuisance for its inconsistency; sometimes the music is way louder than the conversation that follows or precedes it; other times the audio of some guests is barely audible while others are loud in my ear. I would definitely listen more often if these common issues were corrected.
Was I listening to an infomercial?

Apr 14

no:nickname

I kept listening for details but all I heard were generalities and unsubstantiated promises, Biden bad, repeated talking points. Dreck.
Mark Penn?

Apr 8

Giggly Bigs

I tend to like this podcast but I don’t understand having Mark Penn as a guest. He’s an absolute crank. CSIS is too serious an organization for Penn. Weird choice
Truth hurts

Feb 28

Wydia Annisa allahlady 21

Trust God Only