Economy & Business

2026 Predictions: Washington vs. Wall Street

By the GeoEconomics Center

Josh Lipsky and Sophia Busch test the GeoEconomics Center’s predictions for the 2026 global economy with Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius.

Ukrainian defense tech companies must prepare for export opportunities

By Michael Druckman

Ukraine’s defense sector has already demonstrated enormous battlefield credibility. The next phase is commercial and institutional credibility, writes Michael Druckman.

Weaponizing the odds: Prediction markets as a new vector for foreign influence

By Matthew Wein

As these markets proliferate, policymakers should treat them as dual-use infrastructures that require deliberate guardrails.

The road to the AI Impact Summit: How to build AI infrastructure from the ground up

By Ryan Pan, Coley Felt, Raul Brens Jr.

The central question for AI in 2026 is not whether governments have an AI strategy—it’s whether they can operationalize it and quickly deliver the benefits to their citizens.

Dispatch from Central Asia: Dynamism amid uncertainty in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

By Andrew D’Anieri

As Central Asia’s geopolitical importance grows, there are significant opportunities for greater US diplomatic and economic engagement with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Dispatch from Mexico City: Trump’s latest consideration of USMCA withdrawal meets a measured reaction

Mexican officials and business leaders are not in a panic over news that the US president is considering exiting the trilateral trade pact.

The AI Impact Summit must focus on pathways, not pilots, to scale up AI adoption

By Trisha Ray, Keyzom Ngodup Massally, and Shalini Kapoor

The AI Impact Summit should bring together tech companies, government agencies, researchers, civil society, and funders to focus efforts on scaling up AI adoption.

A year into its post-Assad era, Syria needs a ‘rules-first’ reset

By Ibrahim Al-Assil

In Syria, relief coexists with unease about what comes next. How can Ahmed al-Sharaa restore a state devastated by a quarter century of authoritarianism, corruption, and civil war? Building a government and economy that work for all Syrians is the only way forward.

Despite US exemptions, the show goes on for a global minimum corporate tax

By Jeff Goldstein

The United States may have carved out protections for its multinationals, but the global minimum tax continues to move forward. With more than sixty-five countries implementing the OECD framework, policymakers are betting imperfect progress will prevent a relapse into corporate tax competition.