Foreign Policy Live

The Good News on Women’s Rights

Despite headlines suggesting otherwise, this week’s guest says women’s rights around the world are making real gains. Lyric Thompson, the founder and CEO of the Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative,  sits down with host Ravi Agrawal to share more. Transcript: The Good News on Women’s Rights [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/19/women-rights-progress-politics-representation/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=d29tZW4tcmlnaHRzLXByb2dyZXNzLXBvbGl0aWNzLXJlcHJlc2VudGF0aW9u&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Lyric Thompson: Women’s Rights Are Winning [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/21/women-rights-equality-gender-abortion-populism-right-wing-feminism/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=d29tZW4tcmlnaHRzLWVxdWFsaXR5LWdlbmRlci1hYm9ydGlvbi1wb3B1bGlzbS1yaWdodC13aW5nLWZlbWluaXNt&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Rebecca Turkington and Saskia Brechenmacher: Trump Erases Women From Foreign Policy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/13/trump-women-rights-us-state-department-policy/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtd29tZW4tcmlnaHRzLXVzLXN0YXRlLWRlcGFydG1lbnQtcG9saWN5&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Hawon Jung: South Korean Women Are Powerful—and Powerless [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/30/south-korean-women-are-powerful-and-powerless/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=c291dGgta29yZWFuLXdvbWVuLWFyZS1wb3dlcmZ1bC1hbmQtcG93ZXJsZXNz&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The ‘Ask-Me-Anything’ Episode

It’s time for another Ask-Me-Anything edition of FP Live. Executive Producer Dana Sherne puts your questions to host Ravi Agrawal. Alexandra Sharp: Ramaphosa Capitalizes on Trump’s Absence at G-20 Summit [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/24/g20-summit-ramaphosa-trump-south-africa-declaration/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=ZzIwLXN1bW1pdC1yYW1hcGhvc2EtdHJ1bXAtc291dGgtYWZyaWNhLWRlY2xhcmF0aW9u&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Christian Caryl: Don’t Call This a ‘Peace Plan’ [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/24/trump-russia-ukraine-peace-plan-putin-appeasement-munich-neville-chamberlain/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtcnVzc2lhLXVrcmFpbmUtcGVhY2UtcGxhbi1wdXRpbi1hcHBlYXNlbWVudC1tdW5pY2gtbmV2aWxsZS1jaGFtYmVybGFpbg==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Rachel Oswald and John Haltiwanger: Trump’s Ukraine Peace Effort Devolves Into Chaos Over Conflicting Stories [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/23/rubio-ukraine-peace-plan-russia-senators-trump/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cnViaW8tdWtyYWluZS1wZWFjZS1wbGFuLXJ1c3NpYS1zZW5hdG9ycy10cnVtcA==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Ryan C. Berg: Toppling Maduro Without Boots on the Ground [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/06/maduro-regime-change-collapse-trump-venezuela/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bWFkdXJvLXJlZ2ltZS1jaGFuZ2UtY29sbGFwc2UtdHJ1bXAtdmVuZXp1ZWxh&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] James Palmer: China-Japan Rift Deepens Over Taiwan [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/18/china-japan-feud-takaichi-diplomacy-history/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2hpbmEtamFwYW4tZmV1ZC10YWthaWNoaS1kaXBsb21hY3ktaGlzdG9yeQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Can Solar Energy Save the Planet?

Climate summits such as the ongoing COP30 conference can often seem like a place where countries agree to disagree and little gets done. But Bill McKibben says there’s one key reason for hope: the sun. New advances in panels and battery technology mean solar power will soon provide a growing share of our electricity consumption.  McKibbon is the author of the new book Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization [https://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Sun-Climate-Civilization/dp/1324106239]. Plus Ravi’s One Thing on Iran’s water crisis. Nik Kowsar and Alireza Nader: Tehran’s Residents Are Panicking as the Taps Run Dry [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/11/china-solar-exports-clean-energy-cop30/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2hpbmEtc29sYXItZXhwb3J0cy1jbGVhbi1lbmVyZ3ktY29wMzA=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Christina Lu: How China Became a Solar Power [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/11/china-solar-exports-clean-energy-cop30/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2hpbmEtc29sYXItZXhwb3J0cy1jbGVhbi1lbmVyZ3ktY29wMzA=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Joseph Rachman and Indra Øverland: A Power-Hungry Southeast Asia Wants China’s Energy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/14/china-energy-renewables-asean-southeast-asia/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y2hpbmEtZW5lcmd5LXJlbmV3YWJsZXMtYXNlYW4tc291dGhlYXN0LWFzaWE=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Nigel Pruvis: Will Belém Kill Paris? [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/30/belem-cop-30-paris-agreement/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=YmVsZW0tY29wLTMwLXBhcmlzLWFncmVlbWVudA==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Jason Bordoff and Jack Andreasen Cavanaugh: AI’s Rapacious Appetite for Electricity Can Accelerate Clean Energy [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/04/ai-tech-clean-energy-decarbonization-nuclear-power-fusion-solar-climate/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=YWktdGVjaC1jbGVhbi1lbmVyZ3ktZGVjYXJib25pemF0aW9uLW51Y2xlYXItcG93ZXItZnVzaW9uLXNvbGFyLWNsaW1hdGU=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Is Trump Angling for Regime Change in Venezuela?

As the United States points its biggest warship at Venezuela, what is the White House trying to achieve in Caracas? How does it fit into the Trump administration’s broader Latin America policy? And how is the region responding? Host Ravi Agrawal sits down with scholar Oliver Stuenkel for answers. Stuenkel is a leading Latin America scholar and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Plus Ravi’s One Thing on COP30. FP Columnists: 5 Novelists on Their Favorite Climate Fiction [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/07/cop30-belem-climate-change-fiction-speculative-novels/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=Y29wMzAtYmVsZW0tY2xpbWF0ZS1jaGFuZ2UtZmljdGlvbi1zcGVjdWxhdGl2ZS1ub3ZlbHM=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Oliver Stuenkel and Adrian Feinberg: Milei’s Midterm Miracle [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/29/milei-argentina-elections-trump-us-intervention-latin-america/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bWlsZWktYXJnZW50aW5hLWVsZWN0aW9ucy10cnVtcC11cy1pbnRlcnZlbnRpb24tbGF0aW4tYW1lcmljYQ==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Matthew Kroenig: Trump Should Oust Maduro [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/07/trump-maduro-venezuela-democracy-intervention/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtbWFkdXJvLXZlbmV6dWVsYS1kZW1vY3JhY3ktaW50ZXJ2ZW50aW9u&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Carlos Ruiz-Hernández: The Nostalgic Delusion of 1989 [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/11/venezuela-boat-strikes-panama-invasion-us-trump-maduro/] Philip A. Berry: The Use and Abuse of ‘Narco-Terrorism’ [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/07/narco-terrorism-venezuela-colombia-trump-afghanistan-taliban-drugs/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bmFyY28tdGVycm9yaXNtLXZlbmV6dWVsYS1jb2xvbWJpYS10cnVtcC1hZmdoYW5pc3Rhbi10YWxpYmFuLWRydWdz&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] John Haltiwanger: Latin America’s Disjointed Reaction to Trump’s Drug Boat War [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/10/latin-america-trump-drug-boat-war-venezuela-maduro/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bGF0aW4tYW1lcmljYS10cnVtcC1kcnVnLWJvYXQtd2FyLXZlbmV6dWVsYS1tYWR1cm8=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Geoff Ramsey: What’s the U.S. Endgame in Venezuela? [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/16/venezuela-us-boat-strikes-trump-maduro-machado-nobel/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dmVuZXp1ZWxhLXVzLWJvYXQtc3RyaWtlcy10cnVtcC1tYWR1cm8tbWFjaGFkby1ub2JlbA==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Ryan C. Berg: Toppling Maduro Without Boots on the Ground [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/06/maduro-regime-change-collapse-trump-venezuela/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=bWFkdXJvLXJlZ2ltZS1jaGFuZ2UtY29sbGFwc2UtdHJ1bXAtdmVuZXp1ZWxh&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Catherine Osborn: How Migration Became a U.S. Foreign-Policy Priority [https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/10/09/united-states-latin-america-immigration-election-la-declaration-biden-harris-trump/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dW5pdGVkLXN0YXRlcy1sYXRpbi1hbWVyaWNhLWltbWlncmF0aW9uLWVsZWN0aW9uLWxhLWRlY2xhcmF0aW9uLWJpZGVuLWhhcnJpcy10cnVtcA==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Unpacking the Trump-Xi Meeting

China analyst and former policymaker Elizabeth Economy sits down with Ravi Agrawal to unpack the meeting that took place last week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. What was agreed to? What does it mean for the broader trajectory of the world’s most important bilateral relationship? Plus, Ravi’s One Thing on Trump threatening military action in Nigeria. Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún: Why Is Trump Suddenly Talking About Invading Nigeria? [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/03/trump-nigeria-war-invasion-christians/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtbmlnZXJpYS13YXItaW52YXNpb24tY2hyaXN0aWFucw==&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Wall Street Journal: Lingling Wei: China’s New Strategy for Trump: Punch Hard, Concede Little [https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-trump-strategy-06841606?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfTzrQnLDF6PKyYKCxT6gI79X7QFlHVwFYJaBZ0H0ijGa-tGN11zmcvnh2sz4I%3D&gaa_ts=6908d98a&gaa_sig=0eNbOZ_JJFuaMAYMnnT9vUkGc8c_f9OUETtOYKeJFMw55elOCTEH5xOz0qrUgpoeF0YZAccQrMMm4AnFhnRiLw%3D%3D]  Rishi Iyengar, Christina Lu, and Keith Johnson: What Trump and Xi Did—and Didn’t—Agree to [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/30/trump-xi-deal-soybeans-tariffs-rare-earths-taiwan-trade/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAteGktZGVhbC1zb3liZWFucy10YXJpZmZzLXJhcmUtZWFydGhzLXRhaXdhbi10cmFkZQ==&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] James Palmer: Trump and Xi Step Back From the Brink—for Now [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/30/trump-xi-meeting-summit-trade-truce-us-china/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAteGktbWVldGluZy1zdW1taXQtdHJhZGUtdHJ1Y2UtdXMtY2hpbmE=&pid=PNIhHwPfesawrtd] Alasdair Phillips-Robins: Xi May Have Miscalculated on Rare Earths [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/24/rare-earths-china-export-controls-miscalculated/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=cmFyZS1lYXJ0aHMtY2hpbmEtZXhwb3J0LWNvbnRyb2xzLW1pc2NhbGN1bGF0ZWQ=&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Christina Lu: Will Trump’s Critical Minerals Blitz Pay Off? [https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/31/trump-china-rare-earth-critical-mineral-asia-equity-stake/?utm_content=gifting&tpcc=gifting_article&gifting_article=dHJ1bXAtY2hpbmEtcmFyZS1lYXJ0aC1jcml0aWNhbC1taW5lcmFsLWFzaWEtZXF1aXR5LXN0YWtl&pid=PNIESs9hMqnvgec] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]