Speaker 1

Speaker One

Is the current federal government shutdown likely to strengthen or weaken President Trump’s negotiating position with Congress in the long run?

Will Democrats or Republicans take more of the political blame for the 2025 government shutdown in the eyes of swing voters?

Will recurring shutdowns push Congress toward serious reforms of the federal budget process?

Speaker 2

Speaker Two

 Will the IMF’s upgraded 2025 global growth forecast prove too optimistic?

Is the United States’ AI-driven investment boom creating the conditions for a new asset bubble?

Are “higher for longer” interest rates still the greatest threat to the global economy?

Speaker 3

Speaker Three

Will renewed tariff threats between the United States and China derail the current global growth outlook?

Can Mexico continue to benefit from “nearshoring” even if a new round of U.S.–China trade tensions escalates?

Is the World Trade Organization still capable of managing today’s trade conflicts?

Speaker 4

Speaker four

Will state level efforts to regulate artificial intelligence produce a fragmented “patchwork” that harms innovation?

Should Congress preempt state AI laws with a single national regulatory framework?

Will Executive Order 14179 ultimately help or hurt U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence?

Speaker 5

Speaker five

Is California’s new AI transparency law a workable model for other states?

Will stricter AI safety and transparency rules actually reduce real world AI risks?

Are U.S. tech companies successfully shaping the terms of AI regulation to their advantage?

Speaker 6

Speaker six

Has the Federal Reserve done enough to ensure inflation will remain under control in 2026 and beyond?

Should the Fed prioritize financial stability risks from an AI-fueled stock boom over concerns about lingering inflation?

Will political pressure on the Fed grow as higher interest rates keep housing unaffordable for many Americans?

Speaker 7

Speaker seven

Is the U.S. housing affordability crisis becoming a bigger political issue than inflation itself?

Should the federal government do more to support first time homebuyers in high cost states like California?

Will growing frustration over rents and home prices reshape the 2026 midterm elections?

Speaker 1

Speaker One

Is Ukraine likely to regain significant territory in the next year, or has the war effectively reached a stalemate?

Will Western fatigue with the Ukraine war meaningfully reduce military aid in 2026?

Has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine permanently weakened Moscow’s global influence?

Speaker 2

Speaker Two

Can mediators meaningfully advance a ceasefire in Sudan’s civil war in the next year?

Is the international community doing enough to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan?

Will Sudan’s conflict become a long term regional crisis similar to Syria’s civil war?

Speaker 3

Speaker Three

Has Israel’s campaign in Gaza fundamentally damaged its long-term diplomatic standing?

Will the war in Gaza lead to a new wave of recognition of Palestinian statehood?

Is the United States’ current approach to the Gaza conflict sustainable at home and abroad?

Speaker 4

Speaker four

Is a wider regional war between Iran and Israel now more likely than not?

Have U.S. deterrence efforts in the Middle East actually reduced the risk of escalation?

Will the Gaza and Red Sea crises permanently alter global energy and shipping routes?

Speaker 5

Speaker five

Is China’s slowing economy a bigger threat to Beijing’s power than U.S. military competition in the Indo-Pacific?

Will concerns about economic growth push China to moderate its foreign policy in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait?

Can the United States and China realistically “de-risk” their relationship without sliding into a new Cold War?

Speaker 6

Speaker six

Will the expansion of BRICS meaningfully accelerate global “de-dollarization”?

Are Global South countries gaining real leverage by playing the U.S. and China off each other?

Is the existing system of multilateral institutions still capable of representing Global South priorities?

Speaker 7

Speaker seven

Will rising climate related disasters in the Global South force wealthy nations to deliver on long promised climate finance?

Is the current loss and damage funding framework enough to address climate justice concerns from vulnerable countries?

Are small island states successfully using international law to pressure big emitters on climate change?

Speaker 1

Speaker One

Will UNESCO’s new neurotechnology standards set the tone for future global tech rights treaties?

Do emerging “neuro-rights” require stronger legal protections than existing privacy and human rights law provide?

Is the hype around consumer neurotechnology outpacing the real policy risks governments should prioritize?

Speaker 2

Speaker Two

Are U.S. states moving faster than the federal government in crafting meaningful AI guardrails?

Should public schools limit or embrace student use of generative AI tools in the classroom?

Will AI tools ultimately reduce or widen educational inequities in the United States?

Speaker 3

Speaker Three

Should public schools expand their responsibility for student mental health beyond traditional counseling services?

Are school based mental health programs the best way to respond to rising teen anxiety and depression?

Has social media regulation become a necessary part of any serious plan to improve youth mental health?

Speaker 4

Speaker four

Is the United States prepared for another record breaking climate disaster season?

Should the federal government prioritize grid modernization over new fossil fuel infrastructure?

Will recent climate disasters finally shift U.S. public opinion toward stronger mitigation policies?

Speaker 5

Speaker five

Is the United States doing enough to address rising threats to election workers and administrators?

Will new state voting laws in 2026 make U.S. elections more secure or less accessible?

Can bipartisan election reforms still succeed in today’s polarized political climate?

Speaker 6

Speaker six

Is the resurgence of large campus protests changing how universities handle speech and dissent?

Should university donors have any say in how campuses respond to controversial student activism?

Will recent campus protests have a lasting influence on U.S. foreign policy debates?

Speaker 7

Speaker seven

Are new rules targeting TikTok style platforms more about national security or domestic politics?

Should democracies coordinate more closely on regulating foreign owned social media apps?

Will younger voters see social media restrictions as a serious threat to free expression?