tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40159328789610772812024-03-18T16:10:55.946-04:00 Think Tank WatchThe World's Top Source for Think Tank News & InformationThink Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comBlogger2374125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-62028519992221262502024-03-11T08:48:00.000-04:002024-03-11T08:48:02.790-04:00Think Tank Quickies (#492)<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Center for Renewing America <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/20/donald-trump-allies-christian-nationalism-00142086">preparing</a> to infuse "Christian nationalism" in 2nd Trump term. </li><li>New RAND report <a href="https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2533-1.html">warning</a>: Most significant threat to US financial system is not an abrupt event akin to a "financial 9/11," but rather a slow and steady process, akin to "financial climate change."<br /></li><li>Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX) <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7169/text?s=2&r=1&q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22hr7169%22%7D">introduced</a> the Think Tank and Nonprofit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act (H.R. 7169). </li><li>Stimson Center's Matthew Burrows: "Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Scholars, Think Tanks, and <a href="https://www.stimson.org/2024/nasty-brutish-and-short-scholars-think-tanks-and-influence-on-policymaking/">Influence</a> on Policymaking." <br /></li><li>CNAS <a href="https://www.cnas.org/events/make-room-study-session-deep-dive-into-think-tanks">event</a>: Deep Dive into Think Tanks. </li><li>Niskanen Center <a href="https://www.latintimes.com/demolish-immigration-think-tank-warns-second-trump-term-would-drive-levels-unprecedented-lows-551603">warns of</a> the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025.</li><li>CCP is <a href="https://twitter.com/john_walters_/status/1755620205374455881">urging</a> the Global Times to complain about a Hudson Institute video.</li><li><a href="https://www.spf.org/en/spfnews/e-magazine/20240215.html">Wargaming</a> in Japan's policy think tanks.<br /></li><li>"As for the Chinese public, Zhu Junwei - director of American research at Grandview Institution, a Beijing think tank, and a former researcher in the People's Liberation Army - carried out an informal online survey to find out how they view the upcoming vote. About 60% preferred Trump."<br /></li><li>Flashback: Jake Sullivan married Margaret Goodlander, who <a href="https://www.cnas.org/people/margaret-goodlander">was</a> a Next Generation National Security Fellow at CNAS from 2011-2012.</li></ul>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-92076277540188141022024-03-03T18:35:00.000-05:002024-03-03T18:35:47.093-05:00McKinsey-Led Think Tank Helped Chinese Government Compete With US<p><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/15a3e8d9-6c57-422a-8eb8-35a3c24a50e3">Here</a> is more from the Financial Times:</p><blockquote><p><i>A <b>McKinsey</b>-led think-tank advised China to deepen co-operation between business and the military and push foreign companies out of sensitive industries as part of a project for the central government in 2015. <br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The recommendations in a book by the <b>Urban China Initiative</b>, commissioned by the Chinese government’s central planning agency, were among dozens of policies it proposed to boost the country’s technological prowess, according to a review of the work, which has not previously been reported in western media. <br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The UCI’s book — with a foreword by one of McKinsey’s most senior partners in China and drawing on work by McKinsey’s in-house research arm — formed part of the Chinese government’s research for its 13th Five-Year Plan covering 2016-20. The Five-Year Plan included the “Made in China 2025” policy that increased tensions between Beijing and Washington. <br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>
McKinsey shut down UCI in 2021 and has played down its relationship with the Chinese government since coming under political pressure in the US, where lawmakers have questioned if consulting in China conflicts with the firm’s work for the US Department of Defense.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>In light of the FT reporting, Republican lawmakers are <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/641fde96-6bb5-4d98-88f0-6e8b382a4b7b">now calling</a> for McKinsey to be banned from securing federal contracts. <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-76344399290402359632024-03-01T08:45:00.000-05:002024-03-01T08:45:15.693-05:00Think Tank Quickies (#491)<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>President Biden pays <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/joe-biden-watches-msnbc-morning-152325060.html">particular attention</a> to - and has consulted with - former Council on Foreign Relations President Richard Haass.</li><li>How Jake Sullivan <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/02/19/jake-sullivan-globalization-biden-00141697">launched</a> "Bidenism" at Brookings. </li><li>Climate scientist Michael Mann <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/02/08/michael-mann-bloggers-defamation-trial/">wins</a> million-dollar verdict against right-wing bloggers connected to CEI.<br /></li><li>Republican lawmakers are <a href="https://www.semafor.com/article/02/07/2024/republican-lawmakers-seek-doj-probe-of-ngos-iran-work">requesting</a> the DOJ to open an investigation into the International Crisis Group to determine if it acted as an unregistered agent for the government of Iran. <br /></li><li>Japan's <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japans-message-donald-trump-dont-cut-deal-with-china-2024-02-02/">endeavors</a> to connect to Donald Trump have included outreach by Japanese diplomats with think tanks.</li><li>What the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies' wargame <a href="https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2024/02/robot-wingmen-vs-china-what-think-tanks-wargame-revealed-about-key-usaf-concept/393980/">revealed</a> about a key USAF concept.</li><li>Williams Institute: "A UCLA Law think tank <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/15/lgbt-american-communities-states-data">focused on</a> sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy."</li><li>Last month, former CFR head Richard Haass <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/16/biden-israel-netanyahu-richard-haass-00141924">approached</a> top Biden Administration officials with an "audacious" plan for changing politics around the Israel-Hamas war: Distance Biden from Netanyahu by making his case directly to the Israeli people.</li><li>The Carter Center has <a href="https://twitter.com/davelevinthal/status/1759898179116429689">registered</a> to lobby.</li><li>Narrative Strategies <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/narrative-strategies">says</a> it's the "only think-and-do tank currently postured to deliver both operationalized narrative services and training at the most elite level."<br /></li></ul>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-78578351769252016732024-02-29T12:33:00.006-05:002024-02-29T12:33:40.234-05:00Atlantic Council Axes Major Donor<p><a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2024/02/23/the-china-lobbying-terminations-continue-00143028">Here</a> is more from Politico:</p><blockquote><p><i>The <b>Atlantic Council</b> terminated its relationship with a major donor, <b>Gaurav Srivastava</b>,
after the think tank couldn’t confirm important details of his
background in its donor vetting process, Daniel reports. Srivastava and
his wife <b>Sharon</b> <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/2022-honor-roll-of-contributors/" target="_blank">donated at least $1 million</a> to the think tank for its Global Food Security Forum in Bali in November 2022.</i></p><p><i>— Srivastava last October was the subject of an <a href="https://whalehunting.projectbrazen.com/the-old-im-a-secret-spy-con/" target="_blank">unflattering profile</a> by the news outlet <b>Project Brazen</b>
that suggested misconduct on his part; a lawyer for Srivastava, who was
granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the
record, told PI that the allegations in the article were “categorically
false.” <b>Bradley Hope</b>, a co-author of the story and a former <b>Wall Street Journal</b>
reporter, told PI in an email that “we stand by our story.” The
termination of the relationship with the Atlantic Council has not been
previously reported.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>— “All funds received by the Atlantic Council from Mr. Srivastava for
the Global Food Security Forum were dedicated to and used for the
event,” a spokesperson for the Atlantic Council told PI. “We did,
however, return funding received from Mr. Srivastava in 2023 for future
collaboration.”</i></p><p><i>— “We made the decision to terminate our
relationship with Mr. Srivastava in May 2023 upon learning new
information because of our donor review process. For example, we learned
that <b>The Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation</b> was
not an established 501C3 in April of 2023, despite Mr. Srivastava’s
representation to the Council that this was a registered foundation,”
the spokesperson continued.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p><a href="https://gauravandsharonsrivastavafoundation.org/">Here</a> is a link to the Gaurav & Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation, which says it was founded in 2015.</p><p>The above-mentioned Project Brazen news outlet says that Gaurav Srivastava is an "alleged serial con man who pretended to be part of a little-known CIA program to swindle an oil trader."<br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-66806892903633512562024-02-27T08:54:00.008-05:002024-02-27T08:55:30.946-05:00Think Tank Used to Defeat Trump in 2020 is Relaunched<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/02/05/obama-veterans-national-security-group-backing-biden-relaunch">Here</a> is more from Axios: </p><blockquote><p><i><span data-schema="smart-brevity">Veterans of the Obama administration are re-launching an advocacy group, <b>National Security Action</b>, to make the case for President Biden's re-election based on his foreign policy, according to a memo obtained by Axios.</span></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i><b>Driving the news: </b>National Security Action <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-click-url="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-marshal-a-strike-force-to-counter-trump-on-national-security-in-2018-2020-elections/2018/02/26/6b08540a-1b5b-11e8-b2d9-08e748f892c0_story.html" data-vars-content-id="921d315d-0dcf-459d-b22a-8c84030b2525" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-headline="Scoop: Obama veterans relaunch national security group backing Biden" data-vars-item="in_content_link" data-vars-link-text="was originally co-founded in 2018" data-vars-sub-category="story" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democrats-marshal-a-strike-force-to-counter-trump-on-national-security-in-2018-2020-elections/2018/02/26/6b08540a-1b5b-11e8-b2d9-08e748f892c0_story.html" target="_blank">was originally co-founded in 2018</a>
by <b>Jake Sullivan</b> — now Biden's national security adviser — and <b>Ben
Rhodes</b>, the former deputy national security adviser for Barack Obama.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i><b>Zoom out: </b>The group's leaders didn't expect to get
involved in campaigns after Biden beat Trump in 2020, but the former
president's resurgence led them to try to get involved in the 2024
election.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p><a href="https://nationalsecurityaction.org/">Here</a> is the website for National Security Action. <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-51890396121649802132024-02-26T14:32:00.002-05:002024-02-26T14:32:18.909-05:00Leaked Files From China Show Think Tanks as Targets of Hacking Campaign<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/21/china-hacking-leak-documents-isoon/">Here</a> is more from the Washington Post:</p><blockquote><div class="wpds-c-PJLV article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overrideStyles font-copy" data-el="text" data-testid="drop-cap-letter" dir="null"><i>A
trove of leaked documents from a Chinese state-linked hacking group
shows that Beijing’s intelligence and military groups are attempting
large-scale, systematic cyber intrusions against foreign governments,
companies and infrastructure — with hackers of one company claiming to
be able to target users of Microsoft, Apple and Google.</i></p></div><div class="wpds-c-PJLV article-body grid-center grid-body" data-qa="article-body"><p class="wpds-c-cYdRxM wpds-c-cYdRxM-iPJLV-css overrideStyles font-copy" data-el="text" data-testid="drop-cap-letter" dir="null"><i>The
cache — containing more than 570 files, images and chat logs — offers
an unprecedented look inside the operations of one of the firms that
Chinese government agencies hire for on-demand, mass data<b>-</b>collecting operations.</i></p></div></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Most of the targets were in Asia, though iSoon received requests for
hacks further afield. Chat logs included in the leak describe selling
unspecified data related to NATO in 2022. It’s not clear whether the
data was collected from publicly available sources or extracted in a
hack. <br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Another file shows employees discussing a list of targets in Britain,
including its Home and Foreign offices as well as its Treasury. Also on
the list were British think tanks <b>Chatham House</b> and the <b>International
Institute for Strategic Studies</b>.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>Entities linked to Chinese state hacking groups have <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/leaked-hacking-files-show-chinese-spying-on-citizens-and-foreigners-alike">targeted</a> NGOs and think tanks across Asia, Europe, Central America, and the US. <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-65363074250700779912024-02-19T10:48:00.004-05:002024-02-22T14:59:53.027-05:00Head of Washington Policy Center Resigns Amid Turmoil<p><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/head-of-think-tank-washington-policy-center-resigns-amid-staff-turmoil/">Here</a> is more from the Seattle Times:</p><blockquote><p><i>The head of the <b>Washington Policy Center</b>,
a prominent conservative think tank, has resigned in a move he said was
voluntary but which followed complaints by some staff of a toxic
workplace and poor financial stewardship.</i></p><p><i><b>Michael Gallagher</b>, the president and CEO of the Seattle-based nonprofit since March 2022, announced his departure in <a class="content-link external" data-id="https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/michael-gallagher-departs-washington-policy-center-to-drive-pacific-northwest-stage-of-growth-for-intrepidity" data-type="URL" href="https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/michael-gallagher-departs-washington-policy-center-to-drive-pacific-northwest-stage-of-growth-for-intrepidity" target="_blank">a news release and statement</a> this week.</i></p><p><i>Over
the past year, Gallagher had been the subject of some staff complaints
alleging verbal abuse and questioning his work ethic and expenses,
according to internal documents obtained by The Seattle Times.</i></p></blockquote><p>Gallagher's annual compensation was $374,000 is 2022. <br /></p><p>The article notes that WPC is an affiliate of the S<b>tate Policy Network</b>, a 50-state association of like-minded free-market groups. </p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-79581250047025283442024-02-06T09:46:00.003-05:002024-02-06T09:46:33.002-05:00Arson Suspected at Offices of Conservative Think Tanks in MN<p><a href="https://ccxmedia.org/news/arson-suspected-at-golden-valley-offices-of-conservative-think-tanks/">Here</a> is more from CCX Media:</p><blockquote><p><i>A fire ripped through a Golden Valley office complex early Sunday
morning, damaging the offices of several conservative organizations.</i></p>
<p><i>The building is located south of Interstate 394 and east of Highway
169. Tenants in the building believe their offices were targeted.</i></p>
<p><i>“I think there’s some disruption and some uneasiness about somebody
who would want to do this to our building,” said Bill Walsh, director of
marketing and communications for the <b>Center of the American Experiment</b>,
a conservative think tank.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Walsh says his office, along with two other conservative organizations —
<b>TakeCharge Minnesota</b> on the first floor, and the Upper Midwest Law
Center on the third floor — all sustained damage in a fire that occurred
around 2 a.m. on Jan. 28.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>The conservative groups <a href="https://apnews.com/article/suspected-arson-fire-conservative-groups-minnesota-c98730a80787c0fc5b9c9b67e33be597">are calling</a> the fire an act of "political terrorism." <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-32714185109764312122024-02-01T08:19:00.004-05:002024-02-01T08:32:26.803-05:00Think Tank Quickies (#490)<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/magazine/heritage-foundation-kevin-roberts.html">says</a> he sees the think tank's role as "institutionalizing Trumpism." [WaPo's Josh Rogin <a href="https://twitter.com/joshrogin/status/1749417532606345419">calls</a> the interview "disgraceful."]<br /></li><li>Hansjorg Wyss, the Swiss billionaire <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-25/meet-the-swiss-billionaire-cast-by-us-conservatives-as-the-new-george-soros">cast</a> by US conservatives as the "New Soros," is a member of the board of the Center for American Progress (CAP).<br /></li><li>"That may be the real lesson at Davos: Everyone is winging it, experts
and schlubs alike, muddling through with at best fragmentary
understandings of a fast-moving world and its inscrutable future," notes
Politico's John Harris in a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/01/17/why-the-davos-smart-set-sounds-dumb-00136249">piece</a> entitled "Why the Davos Smart Set Sounds Dumb."</li><li>A think tank run by former Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz is <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2024/01/18/moniz-led-think-tank-to-lead-1b-doe-hydrogen-program-00136063">leading</a> a $1 billion effort to spur US hydrogen production. <br /></li><li>Chaguan (Economist) <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/12/07/china-and-the-eu-risk-a-trade-war">attended</a> the Stockholm China Forum, a private
gathering in Singapore of American, Chinese and European officials and
scholars convened by the German Marshall Fund and Sweden's foreign
ministry. </li><li>Jens Stoltenberg speaks at Heritage Foundation - "the latest <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2024/01/26/covington-lobbying-for-release-of-radio-free-europe-journalist-detained-in-russia-00138176_1">pilgrimage</a> by a global ally to appeal to increasingly isolationist conservatives."</li><li>PIIE scholar Chad Bown <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamPosen/status/1752360297237508496">becomes</a> chief economist at the US State Department. <br /></li><li><a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/meet-the-think-tank-behind-the-agribusiness-legislative-wins-in-brazil/">Meet</a> the think tank behind the agribusiness' legislative wins in Brazil. </li><li>President of the Center for China and Globalization, Henry Huiyao Wang, has a <a href="https://twitter.com/CCG_org/status/1742184066953146486">new book</a> on think tanks.</li><li>Nippon Steel <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-deals/Trump-throws-wrench-into-U.S.-Nippon-Steel-with-vow-to-block">sent</a> delegation to Washington to talk with think tank analysts about CFIUS review related to its acquisition of US Steel.<br /></li><li>Companies are <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/companies-think-tank-data-insights-3f46ef2e">re-thinking</a> the in-house think tank.<br /></li></ul>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-33056947301824655922024-01-30T13:18:00.005-05:002024-01-30T13:18:35.210-05:00Two Think Tanks Targeted by Pro-Israel Group for Improper PPP Loan<p><a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2024/01/29/politico-influence-israel-00138432">Here</a> is more from Politico:</p><blockquote><p><i>The <b>Middle East Institute</b> plans to settle a lawsuit <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.239013/gov.uscourts.dcd.239013.1.0.pdf" target="_blank">alleging the think tank obtained a pandemic relief loan</a>
under the Paycheck Protection Program for which it was not actually
eligible, according to court filings unsealed last week (h/t our <b>Kyle Cheney</b>). <b>The Zionist Advocacy Center</b>, a litigious pro-Israel advocacy group run by attorney <b>David Abrams</b>,
brought a qui tam, or whistleblower, complaint in December 2021 under
the False Claims Act to challenge a $359,000 PPP loan MEI received
earlier that year.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>MEI isn’t the only firm facing consequences for PPP’s political prohibition. In December, PR firm <b>MikeWorldWide</b>, run by Democratic fundraiser <b>Michael Kempner </b><a href="https://www.nj.com/bergen/2023/12/politically-connected-pr-firm-mww-will-pay-back-23m-in-covid-loans-it-wasnt-entitled-to.html" target="_blank">agreed to pay back $2.3 million in PPP loans</a> that it was ineligible for due to being a registered foreign agent. The <b>Institute for Policy Studies</b> <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2023/06/28/rouse-to-lead-brookings-00104101" target="_blank">reached a deal in June</a> to pay more than $500,000 to settle a lawsuit that was also brought by TZAC alleging fraudulent receipt of a PPP loan.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The Institute for Policy Studies has long been critical of Israel, while
MEI has received funding in recent years from the governments of the
United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and
Libya, according to disclosures — all of whom, with the exception of the
UAE and Bahrain, still have no diplomatic relations with Israel.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>The Zionist Advocacy Center (TZAC) has historically challenged the tax exempt status or federal funding to nonprofits and other organizations that have done charitable work with Palestinians, notes Politico.<br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-69982212199632053162024-01-19T12:10:00.003-05:002024-01-25T15:58:06.372-05:00Think Tank Run by Former Obama Official to Lead $1 Billion Hydrogen Effort<p><a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2024/01/18/moniz-led-think-tank-to-lead-1b-doe-hydrogen-program-00136063">Here</a> is more from Politico:</p><blockquote><p><i>The Department of Energy announced a
consortium Wednesday to set up a hydrogen purchase program as the U.S.
increasingly looks to the fuel to slash greenhouse gas emissions
economy-wide.</i></p><p data-v-20294bdc=""><i>DOE says the program authorized by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law is meant to spur production at seven proposed <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2023/10/13/white-house-names-first-u-s-hydrogen-hubs-00121259" target="_blank">U.S. hydrogen hubs</a> announced in October.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i><b>EFI Foundation</b>, a think tank run by former Obama administration DOE
Secretary <b>Ernie Moniz</b>, is leading the effort alongside market
intelligence firm S&P Global, financial exchange operator
Intercontinental Exchange, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Energy Initiative and law firm Dentons.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>EFI Foundation build on the work of <b>Energy Futures Initiative</b> (EFI), established in 2017 by former US Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz. </p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-69553365303875632582024-01-18T13:52:00.005-05:002024-01-18T13:52:43.973-05:00Top Indian Think Tank Banned from Receiving Foreign Donations<p><a href="https://www.barrons.com/news/india-bans-foreign-donations-to-leading-think-tank-47c04878">Here</a> is more from AFP:</p><blockquote><p><i>A leading Indian think tank confirmed Wednesday it had been banned
from taking foreign funding, the latest organisation among foreign
charities, rights watchdogs and others similarly targeted after
criticising the government.</i></p> <p><i>The <b>Centre for Policy Research</b> (CPR) is one of the country's most highly regarded public policy forums.</i></p>
<p><i>Its staffers are prominent talking heads and columnists who have
been rare dissenting voices in the media on sensitive political issues,
including national security policy and governance in the restive
territory of Kashmir.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The home ministry had already provisionally suspended the CPR's licence
to receive foreign donations after raids in 2022 by the tax department,
severely curtailing its operations.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>AFP notes that the <b>Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation</b> and the <b>US State Department </b>were among CPR's prominent foreign donors. <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-16715837094499527642024-01-16T16:30:00.000-05:002024-01-16T16:30:33.390-05:00Think Tank Quickies (#489)<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Ukraine's Zelensky <a href="https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3798970-zelensky-discusses-with-us-think-tank-analysts-preservation-of-support-for-ukraine.html">makes appeal</a> to US think tanks.</li><li>Tony Blair think tank revenue <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/bcf1f1f5-a38f-4078-98f8-ab1ff7378895">hit</a> $140 million. <br /></li><li>Politico: "There was a secretive meeting at the Heritage Foundation that <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2023/12/12/zelenskyy-says-he-only-has-air-defenses-to-protect-kyiv-00131333">reportedly</a> included allies of Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban." <br /></li><li>Myron Ebell, a leading climate change denier for 2+ decades, is <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/loud-and-proud-climate-change-denier-hangs-it-up-2/">set to retire</a> from think tank CEI. <br /></li><li>Eric Schmidt's think tank, Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-21/eric-schmidt-s-think-tank-urges-moonshot-chase-to-keep-us-ahead">urges</a> moonshot chase to keep US ahead.</li><li>Heritage Foundation using <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/01/us/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-questionnaire.html">questionnaire</a> to test the ideology of potential recruits for the next Republican presidential administration.</li><li>OpenAI's Sam Altman <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/altman-firing-openai-520a3a8c">confronted</a> board member Helen Toner, a director of CSET, for co-writing a paper that seemingly criticized OpenAI for "stoking the flames of AI hype."</li><li>House Republican Conference <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/house-republican-alliance-conservative-partnership-institute/">invited</a> Capitol Hill staffers to a briefing with the Conservative Partnership Institute (CPI).</li><li>Thomas Spoehr, previously director of the Heritage Foundation's Center for National Defense, is <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2023/12/21/industry-huddles-to-plot-its-march-in-rights-fight-00132989">now</a> a senior adviser at CSIS.</li><li>"The list of former high CIA officers now affiliated to GU/CSIS is <a href="https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP90-00806R000100430004-9.pdf">indeed impressive</a>." [GU referring to Georgetown University.]<br /></li></ul>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-44440633599836066012024-01-15T10:26:00.003-05:002024-01-15T10:26:33.747-05:00Billionaire Bill Ackman Starting New Think Tank to Probe Higher Ed<p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-12/bill-ackman-is-forming-think-tank-to-probe-higher-education">Here</a> is more from Bloomberg:</p><blockquote><p><i><b>Bill Ackman</b> slammed the performance of Harvard University’s endowment
and said he’s forming a think tank to continue his scrutiny of US
education in a wide-ranging interview Friday on CNBC.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>To continue his scrutiny of antisemitism and diversity, equity and
inclusion policies on US campuses, Ackman plans to form a team that will
go “after these issues in a very aggressive way,” he said.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>With his new think tank, Ackman is poised to deploy familiar tactics on
unfamiliar targets. At <b>Pershing Square Capital Management</b>, he used a
scorched-earth approach to activist investing that resulted in both big
wins and shattering losses.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>“It’s going to be a think-and-do tank,” he said. “We’re going to study
these issues and come up with solutions to problems, and we’re going to
implement them.”</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Ackman has a personal net worth of $2.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. </i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>No word yet on the name of the new think tank, but Ackman has <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/bill-ackman-forming-think-tank-to-continue-higher-ed-crusade">said</a> that he plans to rent additional space for the new entity and hire a CEO and board of directors. <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-43829078489275691972024-01-09T15:29:00.000-05:002024-01-09T15:29:26.513-05:00Think Tanks Need Deeper Bench of China Experts, Says New Report<p>The national security think tank <b>MITRE Corp.</b> warns in a new report that more China experts are needed at think tanks. <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jan/6/us-intelligence-agencies-ill-suited-for-china-comp/">Here</a> is more from the Washington Times:</p><blockquote><p><i>Intelligence agencies should also do more to track Chinese global influence campaigns, the report said.</i></p>
<p><i>The spy agencies also lack the expertise and
language capabilities needed for improved targeting of intelligence
efforts against China, MITRE analysts said. The lack of personnel with deep expertise on China is faced by both analysts and clandestine operators.</i></p><i>
Currently, education and think tank programs devoted to China are expanding in the United States but the report said it will take time to build a deep bench of China experts.</i></blockquote><p> </p><p>MITRE Corp. was founded in Massachusetts in 1958 as a military think tank spun off from the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. It has been <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2020/07/13/inside-americas-secretive-2-billion-research-hub-collecting-fingerprints-from-facebook-hacking-smartwatches-and-fighting-covid-19/?sh=17c641482052">described</a> as a "government-linked Skunk Works."<br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-84339462426950229842024-01-03T10:26:00.000-05:002024-01-03T10:26:59.827-05:00VCs Working With Think Tanks to Help Fund Defense-Tech Companies<p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/30/us/politics/pentagon-venture-capitalists.html">Here</a> is more from Eric Lipton of the New York Times:</p><blockquote><p><i>More than a dozen [venture capitalists], assisted by think tanks and other nonprofits
that get funding from venture capital groups, have been pushing Congress
and the Defense Department to accelerate spending with defense-tech
companies, or to make policy changes that make it easier for them to get
Pentagon money.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Many of the venture capitalists keep ties to Washington. <b>[Mark] Esper</b> is co-chairman of a <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/programs/scowcroft-center-for-strategy-and-security/forward-defense/defense-innovation-adoption-commission/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">commission</a>
set up by the <b>Atlantic Council</b> that is studying ways to accelerate the
Pentagon’s embrace of new technology. The Atlantic Council staff set up a
series of 70 briefings for Pentagon and congressional officials to
promote their ideas.</i></p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0"><i>The staff director of the report, <b>Stephen Rodriguez</b>, is an executive at a defense <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://refinery.com/venture-capital-team/stephen-rodriguez/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">venture capital firm</a>. He also <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://blog.applied.co/blog-post/expanding-applieds-national-security-defense-advisory-board" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">serves as an adviser</a> to Applied Intuition, a software startup and military <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://blog.applied.co/blog-post/department-of-defense-bpa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">contractor</a> that <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/94e62dfd7831630a/043a973a-full.pdf#page=28" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">helped fund</a> and <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://assets-global.website-files.com/62baa0bcbd9dbe47abc1c53e/64992ef219dfafab24e70424_Defense%20Acquisition%20Reform-Letter.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">promote</a>
the report. Funding for the Atlantic Council report also came from
several other venture-backed defense startups and Mr. Philippone’s
Snowpoint Ventures.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>Relatedly, it has become quite <a href="http://www.thinktankwatch.com/2023/11/new-csis-report-us-vulnerable-to.html">common</a> for consulting firms, public relations (PR) firms, and lobbying shops to use think tanks to promote reports that benefit their clients.<br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-53056007652686270692024-01-02T11:06:00.001-05:002024-01-02T11:06:42.179-05:00New 2024 Trend: Think Tank Tasting Menus?<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2024/01/02/new-restaurant-tasting-menu-nonprofit-m-frances">Here</a> is more from Axios:</p><blockquote><p><i>A pioneering "nonprofit fine dining restaurant" <b>M. Frances</b> is opening near Union Market this spring from <b>The LEE Initiative</b>.</i></p><p><i><strong>Why it matters:</strong>
Think tanks and tasting menus rarely coexist — the founders are touting
the restaurant as "the first of its kind in America" — and the place
has lofty goals to create solutions for the many issues independent
restaurants face.</i></p><p><i><strong>Catch up fast: </strong>Kentucky-based celebrity chef Edward Lee (who's also behind D.C.'s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-click-url="https://www.succotashrestaurant.com/" data-vars-content-id="911396fc-9776-4b15-8eee-ca278d8dc100" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-headline="A rare nonprofit fine dining restaurant will open in D.C." data-vars-item="in_content_link" data-vars-link-text="Succotash" data-vars-sub-category="story" href="https://www.succotashrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Succotash</a>)
and industry veteran Lindsey Ofcacek co-founded The LEE [Let's Empower
Employment] Initiative in 2017 with the goal of creating programs to
make the hospitality industry more diverse, equitable, sustainable, and
compassionate.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i><strong>Zoom in: </strong>LEE's mentorship program for women in food
and spirits — which includes six months of training and funded
externships — inspired the idea for M. Frances.</i></p><p><i><strong>How it works: </strong>The intimate
restaurant and cocktail bar aims to recruit top chefs — locally and
nationally — to run a yearlong residency program for up-and-coming
talents. The collective will create local, seasonal tasting menus
throughout the year.</i></p><ul><li><i>Price is TBD, but Ofcacek says, "We're tapping out at $175. We want to be fine dining, not super luxury."</i></li></ul><p><i><strong>Zoom out: </strong>M.
Frances is designed to be a live experiment and think tank. The
nonprofit is teaming up with schools and big-name sponsors like Chase
Sapphire and OpenTable to test best business and employment practices,
from fair wage modeling to environmental sustainability.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p>While this will not be a traditional think tank, Think Tank Watch would rather visit this than most of the 400+ "think tanks" currently in Washington, DC.<br />Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-48663461688455225412023-12-19T11:51:00.003-05:002023-12-19T11:51:30.716-05:00RAND Corp. Received Millions From Facebook Co-Founder to Influence AI Policy<p><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/15/billionaire-backed-think-tank-played-key-role-in-bidens-ai-order-00132128">Here</a> is more from Politico:</p><blockquote><p><i>The <b>RAND Corporation</b> — a prominent international think tank that has recently been tied to a growing influence network backed by tech billionaires
— played a key role in drafting President <b>Joe Biden’s</b> new executive
order on artificial intelligence, according to an AI researcher with
knowledge of the order’s drafting and a recording of an internal RAND
meeting obtained by POLITICO.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The provisions advanced by RAND in the October executive order included a
sweeping set of reporting requirements placed on the most powerful AI
systems, ostensibly designed to lessen the technology’s catastrophic
risks. Those requirements hew closely to the <a aria-label="policy priorities pursued by Open Philanthropy (opens in a new window)" class=" js-tealium-tracking " data-tracking="mpos=&mid=&lindex=&lcol=" href="https://www.openphilanthropy.org/focus/potential-risks-advanced-ai/" target="_blank">policy priorities pursued by Open Philanthropy</a>, a group that pumped over $15 million into RAND this year.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>Financed by billionaire Facebook co-founder and Asana CEO <b>Dustin
Moskovitz</b> and his wife <b>Cari Tuna</b>, Open Philanthropy is a major funder of
causes associated with “effective altruism” — an ideology,<a aria-label=" made famous by disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (opens in a new window)" class=" js-tealium-tracking " data-tracking="mpos=&mid=&lindex=&lcol=" href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/sam-bankman-fried-effective-altruism-and-the-question-of-complicity" target="_blank"> made famous by disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried</a>, that emphasizes a data-driven approach to philanthropy.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>At RAND, both CEO <b>Jason Matheny</b> and senior information scientist <b>Jeff
Alstott </b>are well-known effective altruists, and both men have Biden
administration ties: They worked together at both the White House Office
of Science and Technology Policy and the National Security Council
before joining RAND last year.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>RAND spokesperson <b>Jeffrey Hiday</b> confirmed that RAND personnel, including
Alstott, were involved in drafting the reporting requirements and other
parts of the AI executive order.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>The article notes that RAND employees having started to raise concerns about the think tank's new association with effective altruism. <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-943116437273104202023-12-11T16:37:00.001-05:002023-12-11T16:37:08.737-05:00Think Tank Quickies (#488)<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Heritage Foundation <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/11/09/clarence-thomas-ginni-harlan-crow-gifts/">paid</a> Ginni Thomas more than $936,000 between 2001 and 2007 (tax filings before 2001 are not available). Clarence Thomas reported her employment at Heritage in 2011, after left-leaning activists raised questions. </li><li>Mexico <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/11/16/mexicos-foreign-policy-is-unambitious-and-erratic">only has</a> one think tank focused on foreign policy. <br /></li><li>Conservative Partnership Institute: "The MAGA movement's <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-secret-megadonor-mike-rydin-behind-the-maga-movements-nerve-center-conservative-partnership-institute">nerve center</a>."</li><li>The National Interest: <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/blog/jacob-heilbrunn/why-heritage-foundation-embracing-viktor-orban-207872">Why</a> is the Heritage Foundation embracing Viktor Orban? <br /></li><li>Vice President Kamala Harris <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?531377-1/vice-presidential-remarks-center-american-progress-ideas-conference">addressed</a> the CAP IDEAS Conference/20th anniversary celebration at the LINE Hotel.</li><li>Heritage Foundation <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/10/mike-johnson-rewrite-constitution-00126157">reversed</a> its opposition to an Article V convention to endorse Mark Meckler and Convention of States Action (COSA) two days after Mike Johnson became House speaker. <br /></li><li>"A longtime staple of the liberal Center for American Progress, [Ruy] Teixeira, 71, left last year to take a <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/03/democratic-party-fades-college-grads-blame-00125095">perch</a> at the American Enterprise Institute, the bastion of pro-market conservatism. It's an odd place for someone with a social-democratic take on the economy - but a move he said he made because he couldn't stand the cultural climate of liberal think tanks."</li><li>Heritage is <a href="https://catholicvote.org/ad-slams-gop-sens-opposing-tuberville/">running</a> an ad blasting Senate Republicans for criticizing Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-AL) holds on Pentagon nominations.</li><li>Think tankers <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/17/dc-anxiety-political-violence-00127624">arming</a> themselves amid spike in DC violence.<br /></li><li>Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies: "An independent, non-profit <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/cifsonline">futures think tank</a> founded in 1969."<br /></li></ul>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-57357350242584862102023-12-08T10:10:00.001-05:002023-12-08T10:10:42.713-05:00Trump-Backed Think Tank Raising Huge Sums Before 2024 Election<p>Trump-aligned think tanks are raising huge sums of money, including massive amounts from anonymous donors. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/06/politics/trump-donor-america-first-policy-institute-invs/index.html">Here</a> is more from CNN:</p><blockquote><p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-analytics-observe="off" data-article-gutter="true" data-component-name="paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clpu0gfb1004h26nx105fd2ei@published">
<i>A nonprofit that employs numerous Trump administration officials
and is laying the groundwork for the former president’s potential second
term raised more than $23 million last year – nearly a third of which
came from a single anonymous donor, previously unreported tax documents
show.
</i></p>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder" data-analytics-observe="off" data-article-gutter="true" data-component-name="paragraph" data-editable="text" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/clpu0myqz00053b6h804964um@published"><i>
The documents show that <b>America First Policy Institute</b> – a think tank that’s <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/25/trump-america-first-policy-institute-think-tank-00047634" target="_blank">been described</a>
as a “White House-in-waiting” and has released a spate of conservative
policy proposals – burned through most of the funds it raised, spending
$22 million over the course of the year. That included the rental of
<b>Donald Trump’s</b> Mar-a-Lago resort for a fundraising gala that featured a
keynote speech by Trump himself.
</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>But AFPI’s windfall has also sparked tensions with Trump’s team, with
some advisors concerned the group has been taking in donations that
would be better routed to the former president’s campaign or affiliated
political action committees, a source familiar with the internal
conversations told CNN.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>AFPI’s board of directors includes several wealthy GOP donors such as Texas energy magnates <b>Tim Dunn</b> and <b>Cody Campbell</b>, Florida philanthropist<b> </b><b>Trish
Duggan</b>, and <b>Goya Foods</b> CEO <b>Bob Unanue</b>, as well as former Speaker of the
House <b>Newt Gingrich</b>. A new addition to the board in 2022 was <b>Mark
Pentecost</b>, a Florida entrepreneur who runs a skincare and nutrition
company but does not have as significant a history of political
donations. </i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The group doesn’t publicly disclose any of its donors. But additional
tax documents reviewed by CNN reveal that it received some donations
from foundations connected to wealthy businessmen or their estates,
including the <b>Jackson Howard Foundation</b>, which <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/742712082/202312869349101316/full" target="_blank">gave</a> about $304,000, the<b> Leandro P Rizzuto Foundation</b>, which <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/306068334/202301329349102450/full" target="_blank">gave</a> $260,000, the <b>Dunn Foundation</b>, which <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/650415977/202322279349101107/full" target="_blank">gave</a> $250,000, and the <b>Herche Family Foundation</b>, which <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/461512670/202311299349104391/full" target="_blank">gave</a> $200,000. </i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>The story quotes an AFPI spokesperson as saying that the think tank has received donations from 44,000 donors since its inception in 2021. The article also notes that AFPI employed 81 people and had 50 volunteers in 2022.</p><p>CEO <b>Brooke Rollins</b> made $550,000 in total compensation last year.<br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-87146376590277622182023-12-07T16:30:00.006-05:002023-12-07T16:31:03.003-05:00Russia Blacklists US Think Tank RAND Corp.<p><a href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2023/12/07/russia-outlaws-us-based-rand-corporation-as-undesirable-a83355">Here</a> is more from The Moscow Times:</p><blockquote><div class="article__block article__block--html article__block--column" data-id="article-block-type">
<p><i><span>Russia’s Justice Ministry has </span><a href="https://minjust.gov.ru/ru/documents/7756/"><span>added</span></a><span>
the U.S. global policy think tank <b>RAND Corporation</b> to its list of
“undesirable” organizations, banning its activities and putting staff at
risk of jail in Russia.</span></i></p>
<p><i><span>RAND’s designation, dated Dec. 6 on the ministry website, is
not accompanied by a statement explaining Moscow’s decision to blacklist
the research and development nonprofit.</span></i></p>
<p><i><span>The California-based RAND Corporation has </span><a href="https://www.rand.org/latest/russia-ukraine.html"><span>published</span></a><span> extensive research into Russia’s military since Russian troops invaded Ukraine in early 2022.</span></i></p></div></blockquote><blockquote><p><i><span>Organizations labeled “undesirable” must cease all operations
inside Russia, and it is illegal for individuals and media outlets in
Russia to republish or share their content.</span></i></p>
<p><i><span>The “undesirable” designation also places the organizations' staff and members at risk of jail time.</span></i></p>
<p><i><span>Russia introduced its “undesirable” list in 2015 to crack down
on foreign NGOs and ban Russians from working with or donating to them.</span></i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>As Think Tank Watch has <a href="http://www.thinktankwatch.com/2023/05/russia-blocks-western-think-tanks.html">reported</a>, A number of other Western think tanks have been blacklisted by Russia in recent years. <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-46446950925810307882023-12-04T13:56:00.004-05:002023-12-04T13:57:53.341-05:00CFR Member Charged With Spying for Cuba<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-charges-former-diplomat-with-acting-an-agent-cuba-2023-12-04/">Here</a> is more from Reuters:</p><blockquote><p><i>The
United States on Monday charged a former ambassador to Bolivia with
spying for Cuba for over 40 years, in what the Justice Department
described as one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting
infiltrations of the U.S. government by a foreign agent.</i></p><p class="text__text__1FZLe text__dark-grey__3Ml43 text__regular__2N1Xr text__small__1kGq2 body__full_width__ekUdw body__small_body__2vQyf article-body__paragraph__2-BtD" data-testid="paragraph-1"><i><b>Victor
Manuel Rocha</b>, who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to
2002, was charged with committing multiple federal crimes including
acting as an illegal foreign agent and using a fraudulently obtained
passport, the Justice Department said in a statement.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>Rocha was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuel_Rocha">member</a> of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). <br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-43190340614887004042023-11-13T09:55:00.002-05:002023-11-13T09:55:47.616-05:00Think Tank Quickies (#487)<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Heritage Foundation is an ally of new House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), according to Punchbowl News. </li><li>RAND Corp. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/11/us/politics/china-disinformation-ai.html">among those</a> that uncovered covert campaign by China to use AI to spread lies about Maui wildfires. <br /></li><li>The McCain Institute organized a delegation <a href="https://www.mccaininstitute.org/resources/in-the-news/photos-mccain-institute-leaders-visit-ukraine/">visit</a> to Ukraine to meet with senior officials, including the prime minister. Evenlyn Farkas, the think tank's executive director, led the group, which including members from the Ukraine Business Alliance, including Palantir Technologies, Microsoft, Skydio, and Fortem Technologies. <br /></li><li>Harry Kazianis has <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/national-security-daily/2023/10/02/taking-the-measure-of-corruption-in-ukraine-00119488">rejoined</a> the Center for National Interest as a senior director of national security affairs and will serve as executive director of its publication, The National Interest. He was previously a political consultant and senior director of Korean Studies at CSIS.</li><li>Former undersecretary of defense for policy, Colin Kahl, has <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/news/brookings-appoints-colin-h-kahl-as-the-sydney-stein-jr-scholar-in-foreign-policy/">joined</a> Brookings as a scholar in residence.</li><li>Arms control expert Jon Wolfsthal has <a href="https://fas.org/publication/fas-taps-jon-b-wolfsthal-as-new-director-of-global-risk/">joined</a> the Federation of American Scientists as director of global risk. <br /></li><li>Derek Mitchell, the former US ambassador to Myanmar, is <a href="https://www.csis.org/news/ambassador-derek-j-mitchell-rejoins-csis-non-resident-senior-adviser">rejoining</a> CSIS as a non-resident senior adviser.</li><li>David Miliband and Yalda Hakim have <a href="https://www.cnas.org/press/in-the-news/david-miliband-and-yalda-hakim-joins-cnas-board-of-advisors">joined</a> CNAS's board of advisers.</li><li>Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute <a href="https://www.bloomberg.org/press/bloomberg-philanthropies-and-the-aspen-institute-announce-bloomberg-citylab-2023-in-washington-d-c/">announce</a> Bloomberg CityLab 2023 in Washington, DC. <br /></li><li><a href="https://www.politico.eu/podcast/how-did-free-market-think-tanks-take-over-westminster/">How</a> did free-market think tanks take over Westminster?<br /></li></ul>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-69130393996031473962023-11-09T12:42:00.002-05:002023-11-09T12:42:46.767-05:00New Think Tank Dedicated to Serbia-US Ties<p><a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2023/11/08/ukraine-banks-politico-influence-00126187">Here</a> is more from Politico:</p><blockquote><p><i><b>Vuk Velevit </b>has started the <b>Pupin Initiative</b>, a think tank dedicated to bolstering ties between Serbia and the US. He most recently was an international strategy fellow at Schmidt Futures and previously worked in startups as well as consulting on security issues in the Western Balkans.</i><br /></p></blockquote><p> </p><p><a href="https://pupin.org/">Here</a> is a link to the think tank's website, which indicates it has offices in both Serbia and Washington, DC. The think tank says it sustains its operations through a "tiered membership structure."</p><p><a href="https://pupin.org/activities/launch-of-the-pupin-initiative">Here</a> are pictures from its October 2023 launch in Belgrade, which was attended by more than 200 people.<br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4015932878961077281.post-7477943964853522142023-11-08T13:34:00.002-05:002023-11-08T13:37:21.848-05:00AEI Expands DC Presence<p>In a rare move these days, a think tank is expanding its physical presence in Washington, DC. <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2023/11/06/american-enterprise-institute-dupont-office.html">Here</a> is more from Washington Business Journal:</p><blockquote><p><i>The <b>American Enterprise Institute</b>, a D.C.-based foreign policy and defense think tank, is taking the rare step, for these days at least, of expanding its local offices.<br /></i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>The AEI, headquartered at 1789 Massachusetts Ave., NW, has inked a 22,581-square-foot lease at 11 Dupont Circle NW, according to real estate services firm Newmark.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><i>11 Dupont Circle, spanning 153,228 square feet, was recently renovated inside and out, with a new tenant lounge, fitness center, conference center and bike storage room, newly activated courtyard and mechanical, electrical and plumbing upgrades.</i></p></blockquote><p> </p><p>The two buildings are just one block away from each other. <a href="https://dupontcirclebid.org/post/11-dupont">Here</a> is a look at what the updated 11 Dupont Circle looks like.<br /></p><p>AEI bought the 1789 Massachusetts Ave. property in 2013 for $36.5 million, and moved in around three years later following more than $80 million in renovations.</p><p>It is unclear if AEI's famous cookies will be available at the new location.<br /></p>Think Tank Watchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18228594770206315168noreply@blogger.com