Visitors, Briefers and Board

Dear Colleagues,

 

May is a busy month. We’ve started our strategic reinvestment. Visitors, briefers, and the MBN board are coming our way.

 

On Friday, I attended a briefing arranged by Leila and Haitham on a system that has platforms sitting in overlapping parts of a digital media workflow —  newsroom computer systems, cloud production, media asset management, and collaboration tools.

 

We’re leaning into AI and media innovation. MBN thrift has created exciting opportunities for tech upgrades and acquisition that will allow us to work more effectively to advance our increasingly vital mission. Stay tuned for details.

 

MBN Adapts, Evolves — And Gets Briefed Up

 

We’re deep into planning next steps in our editorial strategy. I’m grateful for outstanding work from Leila, Matt, Abed, Alina, and team. We’ll have an all staff briefing soon.

 

Meanwhile, join tomorrow at 3 pm EDT for a preview of our new website. Websites are still the face of a company. I think you’ll be pleased and impressed with the new MBN look. Kristina will email details for tomorrow’s briefing. Launch date is set for June 10.

 

This Wednesday at 11 am EDT, Min is set to brief on our China work. On Saturday, Beijing announced that it will defy U.S. sanctions against five Chinese firms targeted for purchasing Iranian oil. On May 14, President Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing for a summit hosted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Taiwan tops Beijing’s agenda.

 

On Wednesday 11:45 am EDT, Ulrich Speck will visit our new headquarters. Uli is one of Germany’s top foreign policy commentators. The U.S. announced last week that it plans to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany. This stems from the feud over Washington’s lran policy. Uli can offer a window on the debate in Berlin. If you want time with our German guest, let know me directly.

 

Editor Victorino Matus from the Washington Free Beacon is with us Thursday at 10:30 am EDT. Vic is a born storyteller with a fabulous network, nose for news, and a humorist’s take on American affairs.

 

In Bettendorf, Iowa, Vic once discovered Ross’s Restaurant, home of the Magic Mountain: “a massive pileup of hash browns, ground beef, fried eggs, and melted cheese served over toast in a bowl.” But the highest peak at Ross’s? A double serving of the Magic Mountain called Mega Mountain.

 

Vic doubles as a food critic. Here’s Vic on unusual and unusually rich heartland cuisine. Stay tuned for details from Lesia on the location for Thursday’s discussion.

 

And keep an eye for more visitors next week.

 

On Tuesday March 12 at 10 am EDT, Adam Clayton Powell II and Jung-hwa “Judy” Kang will visit; they represent the Center for Communications Leadership and Policy, University of Southern California.

 

Changing Geopolitics, Pakistan

 

On May 12, we have a presentation scheduled on Pakistan with Lisa Curtis and Ryan Crocker. I’m asking our new colleague Abubakar Siddique to serve as respondent. There’s plenty to cover.

 

In September 2025, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a defense treaty. By March of this year, Pakistan was deploying troops to Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom faced missile strikes and drone attacks from Iran.

 

Last week, Islamabad announced that its Navy will receive a fleet of advanced Chinese submarines. Pakistan is already in possession of Chinese-made J10-C fighter jets, war-tested during last year’s conflict with India.

 

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi last night. Islamabad has officially opened trade routes for Iran as Tehran seeks alternatives to the U.S. blockade. That’s a shift away from Gulf trade infrastructure.

 

Join us for the hybrid session on May 12 at 11:30 am EDT.

 

Pakistan was one of Ryan’s six ambassadorships. Lisa is an area expert with State and White House experience, perched today at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She’s also chair of the RFE/RL board.

 

Abubakar hails from Pakistan’s Pashtun heartland and has joined MBN to work on our new “Emerging Threats” vertical.

 

The MBN Network

 

RealClearPolitics Chief Content Officer Andy Walworth will join us soon on reading industry trends and staying ahead of tech curves (date tbd). Adam Garfinkle — who advised two U.S. Secretaries of State — will speak to us about the shape of the next Middle East on May 18.

 

We’ll have Boston College’s Martha Bayles on America’s free speech debates on May 20, and that same morning our new colleague Dan McGivergan on MBN outreach strategies and mid-term elections.

 

On the afternoon of May 20, Carla Robbins will host me for a Council on Foreign Relations roundtable.

 

Matt is speaking tomorrow at the Milken conference in LA, back mid-week (no MBN expense).

 

MBN’s story is getting out. The MBN network keeps growing. Stimulating conversations enrich content and creativity. Here’s our colleague Roya on strong women leaders in Iran.

 

MBN Board Lunch And Meeting

 

We’ll have the MBN board here next Monday May l1 and thank our superb trustees over early lunch at 11:30 am in the cafe.

 

It’s the board’s first time in the new MBN headquarters. I think they’ll be pleased and impressed. Mejana, our local Lebanese around the corner, will provide the catering. Mark next Monday in your calendar.

 

Board member Tom Melia is coming by in advance — this Wednesday at 12 noon.

 

We’ll arrange an opportunity for you to hear from Tom. Many of you know him: He’s been a leader in the NGO sector, worked at the State Department, and for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Tom and I co-chaired our offsite meetings last fall in Old Town Alexandria.

 

I’m grateful for our board’s time and support. To all of you, thanks for such tremendous work. We’re getting traction. And MBN is building out.

 

My best, Jeff