The Decision Advantage

When Israel and Lebanon signed a U.S.-mediated maritime deal after last-minute negotiations, it opened, if not a door, maybe a window that long had been closed. Or did it? In this Essential Geopolitics podcast, RANE's Senior Middle East and North African analyst, Emily Hawthorne looks at the potential promise and roadblocks to further cooperation between Israel and Lebanon. RANE (Risk Assistance N...

On October 6, the Czech Republic hosted the first summit of the European Political Community. That is a platform for dialogue between 44 European countries. The leaders of the 27 members of the European Union were there. But also were representatives from countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Ukraine. So, was this meeting a big deal? In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitic...

In this Essential Geopolitics podcast episode, we take a closer look at China. It’s been a historic year for the country; its long battle against Covid, a slowing economy, increased geopolitical tension with the United States and some neighbors in the Pacific, and - so much more. And then there’s the historic 20th Party Congress. Chase Blazek, who is an Asia Pacific analyst with RANE, tells us wha...

In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast, we discuss the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. For many years, oil was the basis of the relationship. Then, strategic goals. And now: confusion. Emily Hawthorne, senior Middle East and North Africa analyst with RANE, talks about the relationship and Saudi Arabia’s new prime minister, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin S...

Following the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, many Southeast Asian governments -- particularly the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia -- worried that events in Afghanistan may reverse the broad decline in militancy the region has experienced since 2019. Has that happened? RANE global security analyst, Isaia Galace runs us through the risks. RANE (Risk Assistance Network + Exchange) is a gl...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, we brought you a weekly podcast debunking misinformation and sharing best practices from two of the world’s leading infectious disease experts. Drs. Bill Lang and Fred Southwick. The pandemic raised people’s awareness of infectious diseases - and also the hunger for information about emerging diseases. So this podcast is looking beyond Covid, to update you on the New...

The Latest Thinking from the Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics at RANE. In this episode, Rodger Baker's guest is Marko Papic, Partner and Chief Strategist at Clocktower Group. Their robust and entertaining discussion runs the gamut from financial advising on geopolitical events to the study of geopolitics and new thinking. The Stratfor Center for Applied Geopolitics is a global center of exc...

This is RANE’s essential geopolitics podcast, the most useful conversation you’ll hear all week! In this episode, host Emily Donahue speaks with Ali Plucinki, RANE’s strategic cyber analyst about current Russian cyber activities in the Ukrainian War and beyond. Since Russia invaded Ukraine early in 2022, the world has followed the conflict on the ground and in the air. But there’s another battlefi...

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast from RANE, we’re taking a look at Bangladesh. The country was long considered a development success story in South Asia. But recent global events - from the pandemic to the War in Ukraine (and subsequent grain export ban in India) have taken their toll. RANE’s South Asia analyst, Ekta Raghuwanshi, shares the forecast with Emily Donahue.  Underst...

In this episode of RANE’s Essential Geopolitics podcast, Emily Donahue speaks with Clara Brackbill. She is a geopolitical analyst with RANE who focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa. The subject: Two of South Africa's largest coal-fired power plants broke down recently. Those were the latest in a series of problems with the country’s electricity production.  RANE (Risk Assistance Network + Exchange) is a...

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast from RANE, guest hot Ryan Bohl speaks with Asia-Pacific analyst, Scott Kardas. In a recent article for RANE Worldview, Kardas wrote that "South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is attempting to make good on his campaign promise to restore and re-normalize relations with Japan, with Park Jin, the South Korean Foreign Minister, regularly meeting wit...

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast, Ryan Bohl speaks with Matthew Orr, RANE's Eurasia analyst. He recently published guidance for RANE Worldview that said, "Ukraine's counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region will relieve the threat to Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region, increase calls in Russia for mobilization and escalation of the war, and fortify the West's strategy o...

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast from RANE, Emily Donahue speaks to RANE global security analyst, Isaia Galace, about Afghanistan. A year after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, they discuss what's happening with foreign counterterrorism efforts, with a close look at what the late-July U.S. killing of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri says about U.S. capabilities in the co...

In this episode of the RANE Insights podcast, our host David Lawrence gets an update on COVID from Fred Southwick, an infectious disease specialist at teh University of Florida College of Medicine. they talk about booster safety, who should get them, and why you might not want to throw away your masks. RANE (Risk Assistance Network + Exchange) is a global risk intelligence company that provides ri...

For many people, the letters, "AI" prompt an unconscious recoil or thoughts of dystopian futures run by autonomous robots like those in movies and books. The reality is, right now A-I, is confined to machines programmed to learn and mimic the actions of humans. But artificial intelligence can be used to bolster cybersecurity and predict cyber risks in a number of ways. In this podcast, RANE Cyber...

In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast from RANE, the conversation turns to Chile. In early September, Chilean voters overwhelmingly rejected the constitutional rewrite carried out over the course of the previous year. Although the constitutional rewrite process was formed originally after a majority of Chileans voted in favor of it, RANE Latin America analyst, Carmen Colosi, says th...

The subject of this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast is Al Shabaab. Al Shabaab is a Somalia-based Islamic insurgence group active in East Africa. It has been responsible for hundreds of violent attacks in that country over the past few years. And now, amid political instability and a worsening drought, the group could be growing. RANE's global security analyst, Charles Thorson talks...

In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast, the focus is fighting between Ethiopia's government forces and Tigray Rebels. The long conflict between the government and rebels in the Tigray region of the country was - for a brief time earlier this year - subdued under a humanitarian truce. You see, the Horn of Africa is facing one of the most severe droughts in recent history. And 10 mi...

In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast, Emily Donahue speaks with Chase Blazek, an Asia-Pacific analyst with RANE. They talk about the geopolitics of Taiwan, and that of the two great powers eyeing each other over it. Taiwan is a bellwether for China’s ambitions in the Pacific, Blazek says, and those are markedly different since U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit in early Aug...

In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast, Emily Donahue speaks to RANE's Europe analyst, Matteo Ilardo. Energy prices in Europe have skyrocketed over the past months-- driven by the war in Ukraine. They will remain high, and get higher as that continues. You see, Russian natural gas is critical for producing electricity, heating homes, and powering industry in Europe. As Russia has...

In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast, the topic is Indonesia. How much do you know about Indonesia? Are you aware of its growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region? Scott Kardas is - he’s RANE’s Asia Pacific analyst. Kardas says Jakarta will look for new industrial development and investment, such as high-value manufacturing and electric vehicle production. A higher growth tar...

In this week's RANE Insights podcast, newly titled Beyond COVID: The New and the Next Emerging Viruses to watch, our host David Lawrence talks with Dr. Bill Lang, an expert in public health responses to biological incidents, about what some are calling Covid’s final chapter. Plus a review of monkeypox and why this fall's flu season could be the worst in years. They also dive into the CDC's announc...

In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast we focus on Israel. In August, Israel began a pre-emptive military campaign against the Palestinian militant group known as PIJ in the Gaza Strip because of concerns there might be an imminent attack. It’s one facet of a flare-up of violence between Israel and Gaza militants. Ryan Bohl, Senior Middle East and North African analyst for RANE, o...

In this episode of the RANE Insights podcast, we do a deep dive into the three letters E, S, and G. Together as "ESG", those letters are a fixture in news and business headlines. Whether they're about the backlash against ESG, tighter regulation of ESG, or criticism of ESG, those three letters seem inescapable these days. But do we really know enough about what ESG actually means or how it applies...

In this episode of RANE's Essential Geopolitics podcast, we look at circumstances and implications of Kenya and Senegal's recent elections. Clara Brackbill, RANE's Sub-Saharan Africa Analyst describes the short and long-term effects of these elections, both within their respective countries and across Africa.  The Essential Geopolitics podcast series is part of RANE's Geopolitical Intelligence Sol...