Observer Research Foundation President Dr. Samir Saran joined Council stakeholders for a high-level discussion on Tehran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the long-term implications, led by Council President & CEO Leslie Vinjamuri and hosted by the Consulate General of India Chicago.

"Something has clearly broken down," Council President & CEO @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social told @bloomberg.com about US strikes on Iran. "But I do believe that all sides still have an overwhelming incentive to try to manage the escalation."

"Humanity cannot simply air condition every setting," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow @busbyj2.bsky.social writes. "Without more intentional action to rein in pollution and a move to cleaner energy, today’s heat waves are simply a harbinger of worse times to come." bit.ly/3R0fXdc

"A Le Pen presidency would likely be a negation of Macron’s approach to international affairs and a complete departure from the past decade of French foreign policy," Council Vice President of Research @atabatabai.bsky.social writes. bit.ly/4p7CjWB

The Council's @atabatabai.bsky.social traveled to Ankara this week for the 2026 NATO Summit. In a new Q&A, she shares her reflections on Turkey’s role as host, US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and how NATO allies are thinking about the Iran war. ⤵️

On July 16, join @ckafura.bsky.social, Beatriz Ponce de León, and Juliana Kerr as they discuss new Chicago Council survey data on immigration attitudes in the Chicago area and what local opinion tells us about one of America's most debated issues. Register to attend today: bit.ly/3QX9yiW

Ahead of the NATO Summit, Julianne Smith, former US Permanent Representative to NATO; Ivo Daalder, former US Ambassador to NATO; and Council VP Ariane Tabatabai led a high-level discussion on NATO’s future at the #250GlobalForum. Register for a July 13 program debriefing the summit: bit.ly/4gYF4HG

250 years in, America's global role is still being written. Through our America at 250 Global Forum, events, and wide-ranging analyses, podcasts, and polling, we've explored what comes next. As the US enters its 250th year, we're carrying the conversation forward. globalaffairs.org/america-250

@columbiauniversity.bsky.social's Richard Nephew and @brookings.edu's Dafna Rand joined Council Vice President of Research Ariane Tabatabai for a conversation on how the choices the United States makes now will shape what Iran looks like when the fighting stops. Watch: bit.ly/3SDVHOZ

"What are the sources of America's power and standing in the world, and what is at stake as the nation marks its 250th?" @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social writes. "That question ran through nearly every conversation at the Council’s America at 250 Global Forum."

As the United States turns 250, the public is divided over the idea of American exceptionalism. While older generations continue to say the United States is the greatest country in the world, Millennials and Generation Z are less convinced. More data on America's global position: bit.ly/4wqY5Y4

"NATO 3.0 fails not because it asks Europeans to do more, but because it never defines what they are supposed to do more of, or why," Council Vice President of Research for Security and Defense @atabatabai.bsky.social and @j-dren.bsky.social write in @lawfaremedia.org. More analysis ⤵️

Pleased to contribute to this collection looking ahead to the NATO Summit in Ankara next week. My take is that once the Summit is over, defence planners will need to seriously consider what the European way of war is in the absence of US leadership and critical US capabilities.

Ahead of the 2026 NATO Summit, Council experts Julianne Smith, @atabatabai.bsky.social, @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social, @armida.bsky.social, @profpaulpoast.bsky.social, and Dina Smeltz weigh in on what's driving fractures within NATO and the challenges the alliance faces beyond defense spending.

As North American and European leaders prepare to gather in Ankara next week for the 2026 NATO Summit, new Council-@ipsosus.bsky.social polling finds a majority of Americans believe the United States should either increase or maintain its commitment to the alliance. Explore more takeaways 📊⤵️

"Withdrawal is easier to announce than execute," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Suzanne Nossel writes in @foreignpolicy.com. "If the United States wants to contain Ebola, police intellectual property, stabilize Haiti, or build support for a Gaza ceasefire, it needs global forums."

Had a great time yesterday talking @global-affairs.bsky.social with Julián Ventura, @niknanos.bsky.social, and Esteban Guzmán about trade attitudes in the Canada, Mexico, and the United States ahead of today's USMCA meeting globalaffairs.org/events/renew...

The Council is excited to announce that the application for the 2027 Class of Emerging Leaders is now open. Applications are open through September 1. Learn more about the program and begin an application today: globalaffairs.org/support-our-...

What do cooling inflation, rising unemployment, and AI-driven workplace changes mean for the economy and the Federal Reserve? Austan Goolsbee, president & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and Brent Neiman of Chicago Booth joined the Council to discuss. Watch: bit.ly/3R77MvC

“It is difficult to build a stable system that favors American power when no one can trust the United States to ever make meaningful commitments,” Council Senior Nonresident Fellow @pstaniland.bsky.social writes. More expert insights ➡️ bit.ly/4vX6lig

The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) is up for its first joint review. Surveys by the Chicago Council, Buendia y Marquez, and Nanos Research (May 29–June 2, 2026) show most in USMCA countries see benefits, but Canadians and Mexicans are wary of yielding to US demands. 📊 Learn more: bit.ly/4vA6UyL

Alliances have long been one of America's greatest strategic advantages. Can they adapt to a transformed geopolitical and technological era? Council Distinguished Nonresident Fellow Ambassador Julianne Smith presents a path forward ➡️ bit.ly/4vfwvg7

Some of the best conversations happen off the stage. Become a member to keep the conversation going: globalaffairs.org/join #250GlobalForum #US250 #AmericaAt250

This week, Council President & CEO Leslie Vinjamuri joined the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China. Over 1,500 leaders gathered to address global economic challenges under the theme “Innovating at Scale.” More: bit.ly/4xQrs7k Photos: World Economic Forum

Council Vice President of Research @atabatabai.bsky.social joined @jstreetdotorg.bsky.social's "Word on the Street Live" to discuss recent developments in the Iran war. 🎧 Full episode: jstreetdotorg.substack.com/p/icymi-hawk...

The questions raised at the #250GlobalForum demanded serious engagement—and that's exactly what this room delivered. Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online. 📸 Relive the moments on our Flickr: bit.ly/4vKjQCh 📹 Watch the full recording: bit.ly/4gnaDdX

"Cheng’s approach to Beijing certainly merits intense scrutiny," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Paul Heer writes of the KMT leader. "But she arguably is confronting difficult questions and strategic realities that Washington and Taipei’s DPP government are evading." More analysis ⤵️

Council President & CEO @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social speaks on a panel at #AMNC26 examining why the benefits of rebounding global foreign direct investment aren't reaching the emerging markets expected to drive future growth—and what it will take to change that. Watch: bit.ly/44sqCjP

The US-Saudi relationship is starting to show cracks. Council Lester Crown Senior Nonresident Fellow @rb312.bsky.social joins ABC Radio National's Rear Vision podcast to unpack how the dynamic between Washington and Riyadh has evolved over time. Listen to the full episode ⤵️

What will define the leaders who succeed in the decade ahead? "They will be innovators, capable of thinking and acting outside the box and of working around institutions that are no longer fit for purpose," Council President and CEO @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social writes for the World Economic Forum.

From free expression and democratic accountability to trade, immigration, AI, and the international order—the #250GlobalForum brought together some of the sharpest minds in global affairs to take on the defining questions of this moment. 📹 Watch the full recording: bit.ly/4gnaDdX

As the United States turns 250, it faces growing skepticism about its leadership on the world stage. But rebuilding trust with allies will take more than an election cycle, Council Vice President of Research @atabatabai.bsky.social writes. Read the full analysis ➡️ bit.ly/4aBuRNs

"China has the Digital Silk Road. The United States needs an AI adoption strategy that gives countries a better bargain: world-class technology without digital dependence," Council Senior Nonresident Fellow Suzanne Nossel writes in @foreignpolicy.com. Read more ⤵️

What does China want from the global economy? As leaders gather for this year's Summer Davos meeting, @economist.com's Simon Rabinovitch joins @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social on Deep Dish to discuss what Beijing is trying to achieve and why the world is paying attention. 🎧 : bit.ly/43Manhk

At 250, America is attempting to redefine its position in the global system. The challenge: getting the world on board, writes @kuorum.bsky.social. “Interdependence and growing multipolarity mean that even Washington . . . cannot simply impose its policies and succeed.” Read more ➡️ bit.ly/3SJYgik

As the United States enters its 250th year, the stakes have never been higher. And the Council's role in shaping what comes next has never been more important. Join us: globalaffairs.org/join

From a digital recorder in a conference room with Phil Levy and Karen Weigert, to center stage at @global-affairs.bsky.social’s America at 250 conference with @sangernyt.bsky.social and @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social - Deep Dish has come a long way (and turns 10 this fall!)

We're live from the #250GlobalForum! Tune in as senior policymakers, scholars, business leaders, and global voices examine America's past, present, and future. #US250 #AmericaAt250

Tonight, the America at 250 Global Forum opens with "The First Freedom," featuring UChicago President Paul Alivisatos, former ACLU National Legal Director @davidcole-gtown.bsky.social, and Council President & CEO @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social The Forum continues Thursday, June 18: bit.ly/4gnaDdX

The Council was pleased to welcome H.E. Vinay Kwatra, Ambassador of India to the United States, for a private roundtable on US-India relations, chaired by Council President and CEO Leslie Vinjamuri.

The US and Iran reached a deal — but "we don't really know a whole lot," says Council VP of Research @atabatabai.bsky.social. The nuclear issue, Iran's proxy support, and its ballistic missile program are all unresolved. Now a 60-day clock is ticking to work it out. bit.ly/4fMIBsc

Today's global food crisis looks different than the one the world faced a generation ago. In its 250th year, the United States has an opportunity to advance solutions, writes Council Distinguished Fellow Ertharin Cousin. Read the full analysis: bit.ly/4owkSyT

Can the G7 maintain its relevance in the face of global power shifts, a disruptive US leader that is philosophically opposed to multilateralism, and rapid technological change? Council President and CEO @leslievinjamuri.bsky.social unpacks what is at stake as France hosts the group's 2026 summit.

From Venezuela to the Middle East, the Trump administration has not hesitated to use force. But even the world’s most powerful military has its limits, the Council's @atabatabai.bsky.social writes. More expert analysis ⤵️ #[bit.ly/4uBFwip

The 2026 FIFA World Cup—cohosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—is set to be the largest yet. What do North American publics expect from the event? New polling by the Chicago Council, Ipsos, and Buendía y Márquez offers a look at American and Mexican perspectives 📊➡️ bit.ly/3PZNP9D

What did the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing accomplish, and what was unresolved? Council experts Raymond Kuo, Evan Medeiros, and Leslie Vinjamuri joined a live audience to examine what China's long-term trajectory means for American power and global stability. Watch the full conversation: bit.ly/4u9m4u5

Hundreds in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been infected with a new variant of Ebola—and the virus continues to spread. Can the international community contain the outbreak without Washington? Council Senior Nonresident Fellow @busbyj2.bsky.social explores what is at stake ➡️ bit.ly/43hLcmC

While most Republicans echo US President Donald Trump's view that immigration negatively impacts the United States, a new Chicago Council-@ipsosgroup.bsky.social survey finds a majority of Americans feel differently. Explore more data: bit.ly/4o6llY6

The Council is pleased to announce the winners of the America at 250 High School Essay Competition. Students from across Chicago and the Midwest submitted essays to share their vision for how the region can advance US global engagement as the nation marks its 250th. Read the essays: bit.ly/3Q3i6nI

I've got a new piece for @global-affairs.bsky.social on the global response to the unfolding Ebola outbreak and how US cuts to foreign assistance are impeding efforts. I'm (somewhat) hopeful the Trump administration will recognize that supporting international efforts is in its interests.