Hudson Institute Events Podcast

More Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country in the world. On October 31, 2025, President Donald Trump designated Nigeria a country of particular concern under the International Religious Freedom Act for having “engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”

Hudson Institute and the Ben Franklin Fellowship host a two-panel discussion examining United States policy as it confronts the crisis of terror in Nigeria. The event features Senior Fellows Matt Boyse, Joshua Meservey and Nina Shea, as well as Greg Simpkins, former staff director of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa.

The first panel covers the current state of play in Nigeria, including the upcoming 2027 national elections and possible considerations for US policymakers. The second panel analyzes policies to address militia attacks that freely target Christians.

Japan’s politics underwent a historic realignment last year when the Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai) joined the Liberal Democratic Party in a governing coalition. As Japan confronts an increasingly difficult regional security environment, Ishin is now positioned to play an important role in shaping the country’s defense policy and the future direction of the United States–Japan alliance.

Following the publication of Ishin’s new security policy paper, Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Riley Walters hosts Hitoshi Aoyagi, member of Japan’s House of Representatives and chair of Ishin’s Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Alex Saito, member of the House of Representatives and chair of Ishin’s Policy Research Council, for a discussion about Japan’s evolving national security and defense outlook.

The conversation examines Ishin’s defense priorities, the party’s influence within the governing coalition, and the forthcoming revision of Japan’s national security documents.

In Twenty Times I Almost Died, available August 18, 2026, John Spencer recounts experiences spanning combat tours in Iraq, research trips through modern war zones, and more. He reveals important information that helps explain the changing character of warfare and its implications for strategists. Beyond providing lessons for the battlefield, Spencer offers guidance on personal growth and leadership, advising readers on how to live with purpose.

Please join Hudson Institute for a fireside chat with Senior Fellow and Keystone Defense Initiative Director Rebeccah Heinrichs and John Spencer, chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point and co-director of the Urban Warfare Project. Major John Spencer (Ret.) and Dr. Heinrichs will discuss Twenty Times I Almost Died and how it can inform US defense policymakers as they navigate the evolving challenges and opportunities of contemporary warfare.

Six months after the opening salvos of Operation Epic Fury, America and the Islamic Republic of Iran remain at loggerheads over the future of Tehran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. Unresolved conflicts linger in Yemen, Lebanon, and Gaza. Meanwhile, a Unites States-brokered deal between Jerusalem and Beirut, as well as Washington’s engagement with leaders in Syria and Iraq, offer glimmers of hope. The Iranian regime’s shocking attacks on its Persian Gulf neighbors in recent months have raised profound questions about future security arrangements in the region. 

Join Hudson Institute Senior Fellows Michael Doran and Ludovic Hood, Research Fellow Zineb Riboua, and Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, for a timely discussion about the conflicts in the region and America’s strategic and diplomatic paths forward.

To request an RSVP, please reach out to Natalie Arbatman at [email protected].

In July 2026, President Donald Trump granted Ukraine a license to coproduce Patriot interceptors and declared that the ceasefire in Iran was over as Tehran retaliated against US allies in the Gulf. At the same time, Moscow and Beijing completed joint naval drills off Qingdao, China, home to a major People's Liberation Army naval fleet. And on July 6, China test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile from the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean.   

These developments are interconnected. As Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea continue to coordinate, America’s strategic responses in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific will determine whether deterrence holds. How can America respond to threats on multiple fronts, and is its defense industrial base equipped to sustain the effort? 

Join Senior Fellow Dr. Rebeccah Heinrichs and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) for a fireside discussion on how Congress can guide American strategy, the need to modernize the defense industrial base, and the vital role of allies and partners in an unstable international environment.