Sedona Forum featured in NBC News, POLITICO, Bloomberg, Forbes, The Hill, Arizona Republic, ASU News, AZ Family CBS, Deseret News, Fox 10 Arizona, The Jerusalem Post, Scripps News, and more.
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 9, 2024) – On the heels of the 2024 Sedona Forum, the McCain Institute at Arizona State University (ASU) released a sampling of news coverage from the event, which took place May 3-4 in Sedona, Arizona.
NBC News: The Sedona Forum Highlighted On Meet The Press With Kristen Welker
“This week we traveled to the McCain Institute’s Sedona Forum, an annual event where world-leaders gather to talk about solutions to real-world problems. It’s a gathering in the spirit of the late Arizona Senator John McCain — political maverick and war hero who was elected to the Senate six times and ran for president twice. McCain was also the most frequent Meet the Press guest with 73 appearances on this broadcast.” Watch the full clip here.
AZ Family CBS: Secretary Yellen Speaks at McCain Institute Forum in Sedona
“Yellen pointed out today that usually the Secretary of the Treasury doesn’t make strong political statements. But she said it’s essential to point out that there are studies that show strong democracies increase GDP output by 20 percent in the long run. Yellen also cited other instances from international leaders that point to economies floundering in countries that pose threats to democracy — like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She also mentioned China’s economic future is uncertain due to a lack of strong democratic principles.” Watch the full clip here.
The Hill: Navalny’s Daughter Accepts His Posthumous McCain Institute Award For Courage, Leadership
“The daughter of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Dasha Navalnaya, accepted a posthumous award from the McCain Institute Friday on her father’s behalf, according to the institute’s account on social platform X. ‘My father was truly an extraordinarily courageous man. His resilience, passion, and dedication to a better Russia [was] unwavering,’ Navalnaya said, according to a post from the McCain Institute’s account on X. The Courage & Leadership Award is given ‘each year to honor an individual who has stood unwaveringly for fundamental values and has inspired the world through acts of selfless courage,’ according to a webpage on the McCain Institute’s website.” Read the full article here.
Scripps News: Yellen: ‘It’s Very Important At This Time To Emphasize The Importance Of Democracy’
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen was interviewed by Scripps News reporter Bianca Facchinei at the Sedona Forum where she discussed the role of democracy in the economy.
Facchinei: “You’re giving a speech at the John McCain Institute on democracy, which feels a little unusual for a secretary to be speaking about.”
Secretary Yellen: “I agree this is not common terrain for a Treasury Secretary, but I do think it’s very important at this time to emphasize the importance of democracy. It’s important in and of itself, in its own right, but I’m going to talk about why it’s important for our economy to work well. And there are a number of different reasons… democracy is critical because it enables the free flow of knowledge of ideas of debate, and when you look at the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship that free flow of ideas is absolutely critical.” Watch the full interview here.
AZ Republic: Antony Blinken, Who McCain Once Called ‘Threat’ To Us, Praises The Late Senator In Sedona
“The throughline of a Friday evening conversation in Sedona between Blinken and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the common ground between center-right and center-left as the GOP’s growing skepticism of the United States’ global commitments has opened up a new front in foreign policy discourse. ‘I think there’s a common denominator in this room that’s epitomized by John McCain. It’s epitomized by Mitt Romney,’ Blinken said. ‘Everyone in this room is for an engaged America. Everyone in this room believes that our engagement, our leadership, matters.’” Read the full article here.
Bloomberg: Yellen Says Fundamentals Still Point to Slowing Inflation
“Yellen is in Sedona to speak at a conference hosted by the McCain [Institute], named for the late Senator from Arizona, John McCain. In the text of her remarks, excerpts of which were released Wednesday by the Treasury, Yellen warned that threats to America’s democratic institutions would undermine economic growth and financial stability.” Read the full article here.
Forbes: Blinken: ‘The Only Thing Standing Between the People of Gaza and A Ceasefire Is Hamas’
Deseret News: Mitt Romney Praises Kyrsten Sinema, Explains Why He Thinks She Became ‘Toxic’ To Democrats
“As Sinema was speaking with Washington Post reporter Yvonne Wingett Sanchez at the McCain Institute’s Sedona Forum in Sedona, Arizona, on Friday, Romney joined the conversation from the audience to share his perspective on why he believes Sinema is an effective senator. ‘By virtue of intelligence, personality, energy, and a willingness to dig in, she’s been able to get people to work together,’ Romney said.” Read the full article here.
The Jerusalem Post: Blinken: Situation in Gaza Is Hamas’s Making, It Is Responsible for Preventing a Deal
“United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking with Senator Mitt Romney on Saturday at a conference at the John McCain Institute in Arizona, laid the blame for the situation in Gaza on Hamas and stated that the onus was on the terror organization for advancing the proposed hostage deal. ‘We await to see whether, in effect, [Hamas] can take ‘yes’ for an answer on the ceasefire and release the hostages. And the reality in this moment is the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas.’” Watch the full clip here.
ASU News: Preserving Democracy Focus Of McCain Institute Sedona Forum
“Celebrating democracy — and the need to preserve it — was the focus of the 2024 McCain Institute Sedona Forum held over the weekend. This year’s forum, titled ‘Securing Our Insecure World,’ examined the greatest challenges to democracy, human rights and global security, and featured speakers such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Arizona State University President Michael Crow, and Dasha Navalnaya, the daughter of murdered Soviet dissident Alexei Navalny, who received the McCain Institute’s Courage and Leadership Award.” Read the full article here.
Fox 10 Arizona Sunday Morning: Sec. Blinken And Sen. Romney Speak At 2024 Sedona Forum
“Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke at a forum, the McCain Institute, in Sedona, Arizona yesterday. It comes after his latest trip to the Middle East to help negotiate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Blinken told the audience the time is now for a deal, but failure to reach a deal would be on Hamas.” Watch the full clip here.
POLITICO: Playbook: Spotted At The McCain Institute’s 11th Annual Sedona Forum
