Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 economic crisis, Russia’s Ukraine invasion, and China’s moves to control mineral resources, the stakes are high for U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s upcoming visit to Africa. Landry Signé explains Blinken’s goal for the trip and the top priorities in South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda.

The Jan. 6 committee’s hearings on the attack at the U.S. Capitol are a real demonstration of what the first branch of government is capable of when it puts its mind to it. Quinta Jurecic and Molly Reynolds outline how the committee was able to hit the ground running and explain whether its successes can be replicated in future investigations. 

“The baseline geopolitical fact of our time is that the world’s two most powerful countries are separated by thousands of miles of ocean—ocean waters that both sides want to dominate and secure, for commercial and strategic purposes.” Bruce Jones discusses the growing naval competition between the U.S. and China and evaluates a new military blueprint for preserving American maritime dominance.