Podcasts about Brookings Institution

Donald Kohn is a 40-year veteran of the Federal Reserve System and a senior fellow in the Economic Studies program at the Brookings Institution. Don returns to the program to discuss the lessons of the Greenspan Fed, how Kevin Warsh should think about communication and forward guidance, why inflation remains a concern, the Fed's new task forces, the future of its monetary policy tools, and much more. Watch the full length video on our new YouTube Channel! Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links. Recorded on July 22nd, 2026 Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Check out our Macro Musings merch! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:25 - Working with Paul Volcker 00:08:22 - Working with Alan Greenspan 00:22:11 - The Kevin Warsh Fed 00:31:21 - Fighting Inflation 00:43:26 - Balance Sheet Task Force 01:08:21 - Outro

Are political tactics quietly eroding your right to vote before Election Day even arrives?As mail-in balloting approaches, a high-stakes legal battle is forcing an emergency showdown at the Supreme Court. While disruptive political strategies rely on breaking the rules first and letting the courts catch up later, the actual facts tell a completely different story.Michael Steele pulls back the curtain on the real numbers behind election integrity. You'll get a clear breakdown of a landmark Brookings Institution study revealing that mail-in voter fraud occurs at a virtually non-existent rate of 0.000043%.Catch Michael Steele on The Weeknight Mondays - Fridays at 7pm EST on MSNBC: https://www.msnbc.com/weeknightFollow Michael on X: https://x.com/MichaelSteeleFollow Michael on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/michaelsteele.bsky.socialFollow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chairman_steele/Follow Michael on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@chairman_steeleListen to The Michael Steele Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-michael-steele-podcast/id1412905534Watch The Michael Steele Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJNKzTkCZE9uNqPiKYw5eU5YkS_mMsr6oIf you enjoyed this, be sure to share it with a friend!

What the hell is Beijing doing to seduce Washington? Join us for the last in our summer book series for a discussion with Dr. Audrye Wong for a conversation about her new book, Subversion and Seduction: China's Economic Statecraft. How the hell has Beijing gained influence inside the United States? What the hell are their carrots and sticks? We debrief the state of China's seduction campaign and Audrye's policy suggestions to counter Beijing.Audrye Wong is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where her work focuses on China's foreign policy, economic statecraft, propaganda and disinformation campaigns, and foreign influence operations. Previously, Dr. Wong was a professor at the University of Southern California and postdoctoral fellow at the Grand Strategy, Security, and Statecraft joint program of the Harvard Kennedy School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Security Studies Program. She has also held affiliations with Harvard's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, the Wilson Center, the Brookings Institution, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She is fluent in Mandarin. Dr. Wong holds a PhD, MA and AB from Princeton.Read the transcript here.Subscribe to our Substack here.

President Donald Trump signs an Executive Order renaming Lake Ontario on the U.S.-Canadian border to Lake America, as the U.S.-Canada trade war shows no sign of ending; President Trump flies to Houston, Texas to raise money for Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton, who is in a close race with Democratic nominee James Talarico; House Speaker Mike Johnson also campaigns today in Texas for Republican U.S. House candidates in Congressional districts that could decide the balance of power after election day; Data centers have become a campaign issue around the country seemingly overnight. We will talk about it with Nicol Turner Lee, director of the Brookings Institution's Center for Technology Innovation (34); Attorney General Todd Blanche in Puerto Rico announces a major international drug trafficking bust; Federal judge holds a hearing on the future of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, both its renovation and whether to add Donald Trump's name to the facade; White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says goodbye on her last day on the job at the White House. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lawfare Foreign Policy Editor Daniel Byman sits down with Andrew Yeo, senior fellow and the Korea Foundation Chair at the Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies and professor of politics at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., to talk about Trump's decision to engage in talks with North Korea's leader while curtailing military exercises with South Korea. They discuss what might be expected from negotiations with North Korea, how Seoul perceives Trump's policy changes, and how curtailing military exercises will affect South Korean and U.S. capabilities.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Harris is vice president and director of economic studies at the Brookings Institution and previously served in senior economic policy roles at the Treasury Department and Council of Economic Advisers. Ben returns to the program to discuss why recent economic shocks have been less damaging than expected, the outlook for inflation and energy markets, whether AI can improve the U.S. fiscal outlook, why we should temper our AI optimism, how longer lifespans and higher interest rates could complicate the fiscal picture, and much more. Watch the full length video on our new YouTube Channel! Check out the transcript for this week's episode, now with links. Recorded on July 20th, 2026 Subscribe to David's Substack: Macroeconomic Policy Nexus Follow David Beckworth on X: @DavidBeckworth Follow the show on X: @Macro_Musings Follow Ben on X: @econ_harris Check out our Macro Musings merch! Timestamps 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:55 - Reasons We Were Wrong 00:11:58 - Stubborn Inflation 00:14:57 - Crude Is Not Really the Problem 00:20:12 - A Novel Sanctions Regime 00:30:35 - Temper Your AI Optimism 00:39:34 - Longer Lives, But Larger Debt 00:45:00 - AI and the Future of Interest Rates 00:49:24 - Policy Implications 00:56:26 - Outro

Artificial intelligence may feel like something that lives on our phones or in chatbots, but behind it all is very real infrastructure being built across the country. Nicol Turner Lee of the Brookings Institution explains why the data center boom is becoming a major issue for communities, from electricity and water use to noise, costs, jobs, and more. Plus, why there could be potential benefits, too, but what communities should do to make sure they are not left with the consequences while big tech gets all the rewards.   Learn more about our guest(s): https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/shownotes Join us again for our 15-minute daily news roundups every Mon-Fri!  Become an INSIDER and get ad-free episodes here: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/insider Get The NewsWorthy MERCH here: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/merch Sponsors: Sleep cooler this summer with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/newsworthy with code newsworthy For a limited time, get 60% off your first order, plus free shipping and free treats for life, when you head to Smalls.com/NEWSWORTHY. To advertise on our podcast, please email: ad-sales@libsyn.com

Detained at Green Card Interview: How a Bay Area Family Is Healing From Sudden Separation Since the Trump Administration's deportation campaign began last year, more than 100,000 children who are American citizens have had a parent detained, according to an analysis by the Brookings Institution. Peter, who is married to an American citizen, was the main caregiver to his son when he was taken into custody at his green card interview in November 2025. As KQED early education reporter Daisy Nguyen reports, the sudden separation took a toll not only on him and his wife, but also on their developing baby.  At This Los Angeles Rehab, Moms in Recovery Live With Their Children Mothers who struggle with addiction and substance abuse are often reluctant to get treatment because going through a rehabilitation program could mean leaving their kids behind at home. Residential rehabs that let mothers bring their kids are extremely rare. But there is one program in Southern California that's one of the very few across the country, where moms and kids under six years old can stay together. Reporter Clare Wiley takes us inside.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turkey stands on the threshold of closing a conflict spanning almost 50 years, after the Turkish parliament this week passed a law allowing exiled Kurdish militants to return home and rejoin society. The legislation aims to end the war with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has battled the Turkish state for independence since 1984. On Monday, legislators voted 468-88 in favour of a law detailing how the PKK will lay down arms, disband and guide most members back into civilian life. Many see this legislation as a turning point after decades of bloodshed. “This law in question is going to make a giant contribution,” predicts sociologist Mesut Yegen of the Diyarbakir-based Kurdish Studies Center. “If the PKK militants are convinced that they can be safe in Turkey, it's estimated that some 15,000 people in Europe, in Syria, in Iraq and in the prisons in Turkey are going to be either released or are going to be able to come back home.” The PKK leadership, based primarily in Iraq, is not covered by the legislation. Nor is the group's founder and leader Abdullah Ocalan, imprisoned since 1999 in a Turkish jail. He initiated the peace process and last year called for the disarmament and dissolution of the PKK. Hope, caution Istanbul, now the city's with the world's largest Kurdish population, became a sanctuary in the 1990s as hundreds of thousands fled the violence raging in Turkey's southeast. At the conflict's peak, the Turkish army destroyed villages in relentless scorched-earth campaigns. In Istanbul's Bagcilar district, home to a vibrant Kurdish community, conversations reveal a fragile mix of hope and caution. “This law seems good for the honour of the Kurds and to stop bloodshed,” said 31-year-old Ahmet, who only wanted to be identified by his first name. “Mothers should not shed tears anymore.”  But others were more wary. “The state has been delaying our rights for decades; I do not believe this process will be different,” said Kava, who also preferred not to give his full name. “I do not trust an arrangement in which Kurds do not have legal status.”  Kurds make up around a fifth of Turkey's population, but are not legally recognised as a minority. Emotions appear equally divided among Turks. “If they're agreeing to live under the Turkish flag and love our country, that's fine – let them,” said 51-year-old Mehmet Tas. But 40-year-old Ertugral Zengin is unconvinced. “They committed a crime – and now they are to be pardoned? Do I want something like that? No, I won't accept it.” PKK ends 40-year fight but doubts remain about the next steps Political momentum The decades-long conflict has claimed 40,000 lives and forced more than 3 million people from their homes. While major political parties support the peace process, hardline nationalist groups remain staunchly opposed, insisting it rewards a PKK they see as already defeated. The process hinges on the laborious task of disarming the PKK and verifying its weapons are gone. Maintaining the current political momentum is vital, warns Asli Aydintasbas, a Turkey expert at the Brookings Institution, a think tank in Washington DC. “If this drags on, political support for the legislation and for the return of former PKK members, seen by many Turks as terrorists, would become politically problematic for the government. Timing and moving fast is very important to achieve reconciliation,” she says. The government is expected to face growing pressure to address Kurdish rights, including Kurdish-language education in schools and local autonomy, along with broader democratic reforms. Social media buzzes with questions: how can PKK members walk free while critics of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan remain behind bars? Peace or politics? Turkey's fragile path to ending a decades-long conflict Yegen warns that since the new legislation fails to address Kurdish rights and democratisation reforms, the government needs to move swiftly. “The fact that these two issues are not touched upon by the law has created many doubts on both Kurdish and Turkish sides about whether disarmament will be the government's only agenda,” he says. For Erdogan, steering the peace process to success could secure the vital Kurdish vote in the 2028 elections. Yet extending Kurdish cultural rights risks alienating Turkish nationalists, and relaxing pressure on the opposition brings its own perils as their electoral strength grows. For now, the negotiations present a rare window for reconciliation and lasting peace.

It feels like we're stuck in an endless debate about what AI is going to mean for jobs and the economy. The prediction you hear from the people closest to the technology — both its critics and its boosters — is that mass automation is coming, and with it mass unemployment. In response, some AI CEOs are promising a post-labor Golden Age of abundance and universal high income. But you also hear from some techno-optimists and economists that AI will create more jobs than it destroys and that society's fears are unjustified. When these arguments are traded back and forth, no one can know what's actually true, and nothing happens. And caught in the middle of this debate are actual workers trying to figure out what this means for their family and themselves, or whether their kids should go to college. And as long as that debate stays alive, nobody plans or takes action ahead of what's coming. So this week on Your Undivided Attention, rather than continuing to referee this debate, we follow the incentives and show you where they're actually taking us in the very near future. Our guest, economist Molly Kinder, argues that we're entering what she calls the “messy middle”: a period of concentrated and uneven workforce disruption. She has evidence-based arguments about where, specifically, AI will affect the labor force, what the second and third-order consequences of those effects might be, and what we need to do today to protect people's livelihoods. Molly recently left her position as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution to become the founding CEO of a new organization dedicated to addressing AI's impact on jobs. Her Substack, Kinder Futures: Dispatches on AI, Work & What Comes Next, features some of the clearest-eyed analysis of AI's impact on the economy.RECOMMENDED MEDIA Kinder Futures: Dispatches on AI, Work & What Comes Next (Molly's Substack) Molly's blog posts at Brookings The Yale Budget Lab's AI Labor Market Tracker RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES AI and the Future of Work: What You Need to Know Is AI Productivity Worth Our Humanity? with Prof. Michael Sandel AI and Jobs: How to Make AI Work With Us, Not Against Us with Daron Acemoglu   Corrections Molly incorrectly referred to cuts to “Medicare for the neediest populations.” The cuts she describes are to Medicaid. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A study shows that AI chatbots often engage in sycophantic behavior. Just like some humans. This hour, we take a look at sycophants in literature and in politics. And we talk about sycophancy and artificial intelligence. GUESTS: Mark Parker: Professor Emeritus of English at James Madison University and co-author of Sucking Up: A Brief Consideration of Sycophancy Virginia Heffernan: Writes a regular column for The New Republic and the Substack “Magic + Loss.” She is co-host of the podcast “Omnishambles” Malihe Alikhani: Assistant Professor at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, and a resident Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution with a focus on AI policy Music featured (in order): Overture to Rigoletto – Giuseppi Verdi, Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmoniker I Believe in You – Peggy Lee Don’t Cry – Seal You Fascinate Me So – Mabel Mercer What You Want To Hear – Sub-Radio Flattery – Rosemary Clooney, Jose Ferrer The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 8, 2026.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Thomas Wright to discuss his book "Inflection Point: Biden, Trump, and the Future World Order". // Guest bios: - Thomas Wright is a leading geopolitics analyst, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute, and a former National Security Council official // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Recommended Readings: "The Power and the Glory: The History of the World Cup" by Jonathan Wilson: https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Glory-History-World-Cup-ebook/dp/B0DVSNN6QL // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Judy Alomari // Recording Date: July 24, 2026 Release date: August 10, 2026

From March 28, 2025: For today's episode, Lawfare Foreign Policy Editor Daniel Byman interviewed Natan Sachs, the Director of the Middle East Program of the Brookings Institution, to discuss Israel's turbulent domestic situation and the renewal of the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Sachs explains Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political tactics, the controversies over the budget, judicial reform and the resulting protests, and the sacking of figures like Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar. Sachs also discusses why Israel has decided to renew operations in Gaza and Lebanon and why strikes on Iran are more likely than in the past. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The midterms are coming up this fall, and right now we are in the middle of a contentious primary season, with a lot of new faces challenging incumbents—and many winning. It's in this context that we revisit our debate from 2022: Are Primary Elections Ruining Democracy?  Arguing YES  Elaine Kamarck, Founding Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution  Arguing NO  Jed Ober, Former Director of Programs at Democracy International and Former Chief of Staff for Pennsylvania Congresswoman Susan Wild  Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff.  Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to manage your finances before starting a business. Plus: what's next for the rapidly growing prediction markets. What should you have in place financially before leaving your job to start a business? Hosts Sean Pyles, CFP®, and Elizabeth Ayoola bring on small business Nerd Rosalie Murphy to answer a question from listener Blake, who is 27 and on the verge of walking away from a steady paycheck to launch their own company. Together, they examine how much cash you really need before going months without income, what to do about existing high-interest debt before you launch, how to handle taxes when your employer is no longer withholding them for you, which retirement accounts could make sense when you're self-employed, and how separating your business and personal finances from day one could protect your personal assets if things go wrong. Then, what are prediction markets, and what happens when billions of dollars start trading on election outcomes? Senior news writer Anna Helhoski interviews Aaron Klein, a senior fellow at the Center on Regulation and Markets at the Brookings Institution, about the booming prediction market industry. They discuss how platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket differ from both stock trading and gambling, whether the legal distinction between a "swap" and a "wager" actually matters for everyday users, how these platforms are navigating state gambling laws, and what it could mean when millions of dollars are wagered on whether a political party wins control of Congress. Resources discussed in this episode: Best Business Checking Accounts of August 2026 Best Business Credit Cards of August 2026 How to Open a Business Bank Account How to Incorporate a Business How to Get Business Insurance: What You Need, Where to Buy It Subscribe to our podcast's free email newsletter for bonus content and more from our hosts at https://smartmoney-nerdwallet.beehiiv.com/  Want us to review your budget? Fill out this form — completely anonymously if you want — and we might feature your budget in a future segment! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScK53yAufsc4v5UpghhVfxtk2MoyooHzlSIRBnRxUPl3hKBig/viewform?usp=header Smart Money's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@nerdwalletsmartmoney To send the Nerds your money questions, call or text the Nerd hotline at 901-730-6373 or email podcast@nerdwallet.com. Like what you hear? Please leave us a review and tell a friend. *The show notes were created with the assistance of AI. They have been reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy and quality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From February 26, 2025: On Feb. 24, Fiona Hill (Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe), Constanze Stelzenmüller, (Director at the Center on the United States and Europe; Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Center on the United States and Europe; and Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and Trans-Atlantic Relations), Anastasiia Lapatina (Ukraine Fellow, Lawfare), Tyler McBrien (Managing Editor, Lawfare), and Benjamin Wittes (Editor-in-Chief, Lawfare) recorded a live discussion at the Brookings Institution on "Trump's return and the fate of Ukraine" and Lawfare and Goat Rodeo's new narrative podcast series on the U.S. and Ukraine, Escalation. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

07/30/26: Tony Pipa is a senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. He launched and leads the Reimagining Rural Policy initiative and hosts the award-winning Reimagine Rural podcast. He's in town for TEDxFargo, and joins Joel Heitkamp in the studio to talk about rural America. Learn more about Tony and his work at Brookings,edu. (Joel Heitkamp is a talk show host on the Mighty 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. His award-winning program, “News & Views,” can be heard weekdays from 8 – 11 a.m. Follow Joel on X/Twitter @JoelKFGO.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What did your father teach you? And what did you have to figure out on your own because he wasn't there to teach it?In this raw and personal episode, Dijon Anderson sits with a question he put to his social media community and the responses that stopped him in his tracks. Men and women opened up about the lessons they never received about money, emotions, relationships, and simply being present, and what it cost them to learn those things the hard way.Drawing on listener responses, two powerful books: Tony Evans' Kingdom Man and Richard Reeves' Of Boys and Men — and peer-reviewed research on fatherhood, intergenerational transmission, and adverse childhood experiences, this episode moves through grief and into action.This episode is for every man and woman who has ever tried to give his children what he was never given. It's for every father who is building a blueprint in real time. And it's for every person still healing from a gap that was never supposed to be there.BOOKS REFERENCEDKingdom Man — Tony Evans (2012)Evans challenges men to understand their God-given role not as a position of power, but as a responsibility of stewardship over themselves, their families, their communities. A Kingdom Man doesn't wait until he's healed to lead. He leadswhile he heals.• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers• Available at: tonyevans.org and major booksellersOf Boys and Men — Richard V. Reeves (2022)Brookings Institution scholar Reeves documents the growing crisis facing boys and men in education, the workplace, and family life and proposes structural solutions rather than moral judgments. Essential reading for anyone who wants tounderstand the systemic forces behind the "dad deficit."• Publisher: Brookings Institution Press• Available at: brookings.edu and major booksellersRESOURCES & LINKS• NOS4Dads Website & Giving Page: nooffseason4dads.com• Speaking & Booking Inquiries: nooffseason4dads.com• Instagram: @nos4dads• TikTok: @dijondabassman• Facebook: No Off Season 4 Dads• LinkedIn: L. Dijon Anderson• Episode Hashtags:#WhatIWishILearned #NOS4Dads #FatherhoodMatters  #BreakTheCycle #KingdomMan

This episode is brought to you by Vanguard University and the Global Center for Women and Justice, who offer an incredible anti-human trafficking certificate. Whether you're a frontline responder, a social worker, in the ministry, a healthcare provider, or simply a community member who wants to help, this program is built for you. Head over to gcwj.org/ahtc to take the next step and apply today. ---Dr. Xanthe Scharff joins Dr. Sandie Morgan to explore how displacement, missing documents, and unequal citizenship laws quietly raise the risk of trafficking, and why prevention starts long before a child is ever exploited.Chapters(00:00) - Introduction (00:55) - Xanthe's Path and the Freedom Fund's Frontline Model (06:08) - The Women's Refugee Commission: Listening to Women (10:19) - How Birth Certificates Prevent Trafficking in Bangladesh (13:17) - Citizenship, Statelessness, and Life in the Shadows (19:13) - Conflict, Trauma, and Women Rebuilding After Displacement (23:46) - Girls' Education and the Story of Anesi (28:14) - Prevention Over Rescue: What the Field Still Misunderstands About Dr. Xanthe ScharffDr. Xanthe Scharff is President and CEO of the Women's Refugee Commission, which she joined in June 2026 after more than two decades spanning humanitarian action, women's rights, journalism, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership. She previously served as Managing Director for External Affairs and Editor-at-Large at The Freedom Fund, a global collaborative working to end modern slavery, where she helped elevate the work of hundreds of frontline anti-slavery organizations across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Earlier, she co-founded The Fuller Project, a global newsroom reporting on women, served as Associate Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, and founded Advancing Girls' Education in Africa. She has raised more than $200 million for social-impact organizations and reported on Syrian refugees in Turkey, with earlier roles at CARE, Save the Children, the United Nations, and the World Bank.Key Points• The Freedom Fund gets money directly to the front lines, granting to almost 200 frontline organizations, and this past year 47% of them were led by survivors.• Birth certificates are a frontline prevention tool: in Bangladesh, mothers believed they couldn't register children without the father's signature, until Freedom Fund's partners socialized a legal provision and registered over 400 children in about six months.• Twenty-four countries still bar mothers from passing citizenship to their children on equal terms with fathers, and Syria's law can leave a returning mother's child stateless and more vulnerable to exploitation.• When people lack legal status, they have no one to report abuse to, and fear of deportation keeps exploited workers silent even when wages are stolen or they are assaulted.• Immigration and refugee are not synonyms; asylum seekers are specifically people seeking protection, a distinction that gets blurred as legal pathways narrow.• Before larger plans, women's groups like Women of the Sun in Gaza and the West Bank made addressing trauma and supporting one another their first priority.• A scholarship alone did not change Anesi's future; without cultural support structures, she left school for marriage after one year and later regretted it, showing that prevention takes more than money.• Xanthe urges the field to listen to survivors: "Alternative livelihood activities in our community is what's going to protect our children," and "we don't need to wait until the children have been trafficked to do an intervention."Resources• Women's Refugee Commission• At What Cost? Women-Led Organizations, Funding Cuts, and the Price of Survival (WRC & Refugees International report)• Global Campaign for Equal Nationality Rights• The Freedom Fund• Refugees International• The Fuller Project• AGE Africa (Advancing Girls' Education in Africa)

The US has long been the world's undisputed leader in AI. Now, that lead looks under threat. Cutting-edge Chinese models such as Kimi K3 are proving almost as capable as leading American models; meanwhile, companies in the US and Europe are turning to cheap, efficient Chinese software from companies including DeepSeek and Z.ai in an attempt to curb high usage costs. As China takes strides – and Beijing considers export controls on its AI models – Soumaya speaks to Kyle Chan, fellow at the Brookings Institution's John L Thornton China Center, to find out more.Subscribe to Soumaya's show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Further reading: Chinese AI start-up Moonshot launches model challenging Anthropic's leadCompanies turn to Chinese AI models to cut costsChina weighs tighter export controls on AI models and chipsPresented by Soumaya Keynes. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Original music and sound design by Breen Turner. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. Flo Phillips is the FT's head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renée Cummings channels the spirit of due process while envisioning a radically imaginative world in which the benefits of ethical AI innovation are available to all. Kimberly and Renée discuss her radical optimism; finding joy in justice; AI's criminal misadventures; bringing an ethical imagination to AI; creative innovation; our responsibility to the future; AI as a public health challenge; the social contract and duty of care; how governance, data, and trust intertwine; due process as core to intelligence; child protection and the AWARE (algorithmic awareness and responsible engagement) campaign; giving love a break; and why responsibility requires honesty.   Renée Cummings is a Professor of Practice at the University of Virginia School of Data Science as well as a Nonresident Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the AI Equity Lab at the Brookings Institution. Renee also serves as the Co-Chair of the Global Academic Network at the Centre for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP). Related Resources: Michigan Technology Journal: An Invitation to Partner (article) The A.W.A.R.E Initiative (Press Kit) Who is Raising Your Child? (A.W.A.R.E Initiative publication)  A transcript of this episode is here. 

Today's Mexican drug cartels haven't abandoned the old playbook of murder, corruption, and intimidation – but they've modernized it. Armed with drones, AI, sophisticated financial networks, and global criminal partnerships, they've transformed organized crime for the 21st century. Cartel expert Vanda Felbab-Brown joins Rep. Dan Crenshaw to explain how they evolved, why they're more powerful than ever, and what the United States must do to stop them.   Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, where she studies international organized crime, terrorism, and illicit economies. Find her on X at @VFelbabBrown and read her research here: https://www.brookings.edu/people/vanda-felbab-brown/

“We have a Justice Department which is now 100% the political pawn of the president,” warns Brookings senior fellow Jonathan Rauch. “He points, and they shoot.” Point and shoot. Like an old Kodak camera. Not exactly assuring words, you might think, from a man who begins our conversation looking back at the first six months of 2026 by announcing that he's significantly less alarmed than he was a year ago. Yes, Rauch acknowledges, Trump's approval ratings have sunk, the courts have pushed back, Elon Musk's DOGE rampage has petered out. And yet the pointing and the shooting goes on. Rauch, who only months ago diagnosed eighteen “distinct and unmistakable signs” of an American fascism in a much touted Atlantic piece, now admits he may never crack the Trumpian code. Every time you nail it to the wall, he says, it morphs, creeps or sails away. Like an Iranian gunboat in Hormuz. Slippery stuff for the liberal Brookings analyst. Fascism one month, McKinley-style imperialism the next, then Gilded Age plutocracy — although without those ontologically undeniable Carnegie libraries. Meanwhile, America's 250th birthday party fizzled into what Rauch calls a “damp squib,” its reflecting pool turning an opaque green rather than a clarifying blue. A muddy madness in DC. Still, amidst all the opacity, Rauch remains a defiantly optimistic liberal. In contrast with yesterday's guest, the reality hallucinating Turi Munthe, Rauch believes not only that there is an ontological reality, but that it's good. Frank Fukuyama was right, Rauch insists. Liberalism is not only the only political system that creates wealth, produces knowledge and settles disputes, but also establishes an undeniable reality. Liberals just need to relearn how to clearly tell its story. Perhaps. Though storytelling is certainly simpler when nobody is waving a gun at you. Five Takeaways •       Less Alarmed, Still Scared. Rauch opens with the good news: he is significantly less alarmed than he was a year ago, when the administration was running rampage, putting agencies out of business and demanding Greenland. Approval ratings have dropped, so Trump has less political space; the courts have pushed back, so he has less judicial space; Stephen Miller has vanished from view. And then comes the caveat that gives the episode its title: the Justice Department is now 100% the political pawn of the president — he points, and they shoot — and Trump has shown that as his ratings fall, he becomes more willing, not less, to use those tools. •       I May Never Crack the Code. Only months ago, Rauch diagnosed eighteen distinct and unmistakable signs of a modern American reinvention of fascism in The Atlantic. He doesn't regret the essay — but he has gone back to being confused. The Trump phenomenon is slippery: every time you nail it to the wall, it morphs, creeps or slides away. Fascism one month, McKinley-style imperialism in Venezuela the next, an Iran war with no rationale at all. Trump is such an improviser, and so disorganized, that Rauch concedes there is an element of randomness he may never decode — though he accepts Andrew's suggestion that attention is now the coin of the political realm. •       Not the Gilded Age — No Carnegie Libraries. The new inequality, Rauch argues, is different in kind: a class of people almost superhuman in the wealth they control, and strangely narcissistic and nihilistic toward the broader society. The Gilded Age tycoons did some bad things, but they also built — Carnegie's libraries, Mellon's National Gallery, Rockefeller's University of Chicago, Stanford's university. This group builds rockets and sounds, in the case of Marc Andreessen, like a parody of an Ayn Rand novel — or, as Andrew corrects him, not a parody at all: they simply repeat what they've read. Even so, Rauch is not sorry to see politics reacting to a world where Musk can casually drop $300 million into a presidential race. •       The Gloves-Off Court and the Accelerating Presidency. The Supreme Court term brought the clearest statement yet of the conservative agenda: Humphrey's Executor overturned after eighty years, making it far easier for presidents to fire agency heads at will; what remained of the Voting Rights Act effectively gutted; birthright citizenship surviving by a shockingly narrow margin. The imperial presidency is not new, Rauch notes — what's new is the speed. A president can now simply refuse to run a congressionally mandated agency, and the Senate, forty quietly nixed nominations notwithstanding, remains lacking in spine. The Todd Blanche nomination, he says, is the next test of whether any line exists at all. •       Fukuyama Was Right — and Liberals Should Say So. Rauch sees a moral vacuum and, for the first time, a craving to fill it: the pope's AI encyclical, multi-faith clergy bearing witness in Minnesota, the Episcopalians and Latter-day Saints finding their voices. His prescription for the second half of 2026 is a liberal one, in the nineteenth-century sense — science, markets, constitutions, rule of law. Fukuyama, widely misunderstood, was right: there is only one system that produces knowledge, peace, freedom, and wealth on a global scale, and it's ours. It needs fixing — he cheers the bipartisan housing bill Trump refused to sign — but liberals must relearn how to tell that story, and how to brag. About the Guest Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of nine books, including The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth (2021), Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy (Yale, 2025), and Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought. A recipient of the National Magazine Award, he serves on the boards of Heterodox Academy and Civic Life, and is a longtime friend of the show. References: •       Rauch's Atlantic essay identifying eighteen “distinct and unmistakable signs” of a modern American reinvention of fascism — the piece he stands by, even as he admits the phenomenon keeps morphing. •       His recent essays for The UnPopulist on why liberal societies need grand stories about themselves, and why liberals must relearn how to brag about liberalism. •       Jonathan Rauch and Peter Wehner in The New York Times — the earlier argument, which Rauch says still holds, that the Republican Party is more dangerous to the constitution and the rule of law than the Democratic Party. •       Tim O'Reilly in The Economist — on Elon Musk building a form of capitalism that Adam Smith would hate. •       Francis Fukuyama — whose widely misunderstood The End of History thesis Rauch defends: there is only one system that creates wealth, produces knowledge, and settles political disputes on a global scal...

Nearly a month after a ceasefire, the US-Iran deal seems to have all but collapsed as both nations have slipped back into active conflict. On Sunday, Tehran announced that the Strait of Hormuz is once again closed—a move President Trump immediately countered, stating the waterway will remain open "with or without Iran." Since then, both the US and Iran have reportedly begun new attacks, and the President said the US will reinstate its blockade to become the "guardian" of the strait, even floating a controversial plan to charge commercial ships to ensure their safe passage.  We are in a critical window where both sides are aggressively trying to redefine their leverage in the Persian Gulf region, yet neither has fully abandoned the negotiating table. The U.S. can't maintain its high-stakes engagement indefinitely.  So are we right back to square one? Is this perpetual state of uncertainty the new normal for the Strait of Hormuz? What realistic leverage does Washington still possess on the nuclear front? And with senior Houthi leaders announcing their involvement, how does the collapse of this deal reverberate throughout the Persian Gulf region?  Today on the show, Jason Bordoff discusses the current and unpredictable state of affairs in the strait, and how it could play out in the coming weeks and months, with Suzanne Maloney, the vice president and director of the foreign policy program at the Brookings Institution. Suzanne's research focuses on Iran and Persian Gulf energy. She has advised Democratic and Republican administrations on Iran policy, including as an external advisor to senior State Department officials during the Obama administration and as a member of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's Policy Planning staff during the administration of George W. Bush. Earlier in her career, she served as Middle East advisor for ExxonMobil Corporation. Credits: Hosted by Jason Bordoff and Bill Loveless. Produced by Mary Catherine O'Connor, Caroline Pitman, and Kyu Lee. Engineering by Gregory Vilfranc.  

Household wealth in the United States rose from about 270% of GDP in 1997 to roughly 465% by 2021. Some 96% of that increase accrued to households where the respondents were 55 or older. And within that group, nearly three quarters of the wealth increase went to the wealthiest 10% of households. As this wealth passes to heirs, much of it will likely never be taxed. John Sabelhaus joins EconoFact Chats to discuss how the erosion of the estate tax and provisions like the "step-up in basis" have created what he and co-author Bill Gale call "never-taxed income," and how reforming the taxation of wealth transfers could address both widening inequality and rising government debt. John is a Senior Fellow in the Economic Studies program at the Brookings Institution. He previously served at the Federal Reserve Board and the Congressional Budget Office.

From April 10, 2025: On today's episode, Executive Editor Natalie Orpett spoke with Tara Varma, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, about the latest in French politics. On March 31, far-right leader Marine Le Pen was convicted of embezzlement and banned from politics, though polling showed her in the lead for the 2027 presidential elections. In the last few weeks, current French president Emmanuel Macron has been carving out a place for French leadership amidst the upheaval in Europe's relationship with the United States. Meanwhile, the push to build European defense capacity—and Trump's new tariffs—are raising a lot of complicated questions.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding in June, the U.S. and Iran entered a delicate peace. As negotiators worked toward a permanent deal, one question loomed: Who won the war in Iran — Tehran or Trump? Hours after we concluded a debate on that very question, strikes resumed. By morning, President Trump declared the truce over. Today, we bring you that debate, and the question of who holds the upper hand, and what has been gained and lost, is more pressing than ever.  Note: This debate was recorded on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, before the verbal dissolution of the Islamabad Memorandum and the resumption of military action in the Iran War.  Arguing "Tehran is Winning": Suzanne Maloney, Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution  Arguing "Trump is Winning": Matthew Kroenig, Vice President for Geostrategy and Fellows and Senior Director of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security  Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates  Join the conversation on Substack—share your perspective on this episode and subscribe to our weekly newsletter for curated insights from our debaters, moderators, and staff.  Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and TikTok to stay connected with our mission and ongoing debates.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode unpacks the history of 250 years of U.S. foreign policy and examines patterns of the United States' engagement with the world.   Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR   Guest: Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Author, Dangerous Nation: America's Place in the World From Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century and The Ghost at the Feast: America and Collapse of World Order, 1900-1941   We Discuss: Why Robert Kagan argues that Americans misunderstand their own history and have long been a “dangerous nation” rather than an insular one. How American foreign policy debates have always been entangled with domestic politics, and what the polarized fights of the founding era reveal about the true norm of American political life. Which forces have consistently pulled the United States outward, producing an oscillation between intervention and retrenchment. Why the era of American imperialism following the Spanish-American War, including the humanitarian motives behind U.S. intervention in Cuba, is among the most misunderstood chapters of U.S. history Why Americans tend to enter wars with enthusiasm only to sour on them afterward. Whether the United States is forgetting the lessons of the postwar order. What the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence should teach Americans about the fragility of liberal democracy.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Robert Kagan, Dangerous Nation: America's Place in the World From Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century, Knopf   Robert Kagan, The Ghost at the Feast: America and the Collapse of World Order, 1900–1941, Knopf   Robert Kagan, The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World, Knopf   Walter Lippmann, U.S. Foreign Policy: Shield of the Republic, Little, Brown   Norman Angell, The Great Illusion, G.P. Putnam's Sons   Francis Fukuyama, The End of History and the Last Man, Free Press   James A. Field Jr., “American Imperialism: The Worst Chapter in Almost Any Book,” American Historical Review   “Declaration of Independence,” National Archives   George Washington, “Farewell Address,” 1796   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/lessons-from-250-years-of-us-foreign-policy   Opinions expressed on The President's Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

On this episode of Virtual Sentiments, Kristen Collins talks with Laura K. Field about the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and her recent book, Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right. The conversation traces how Field came to chronicle the intellectual architecture behind Trumpism between 2016 and 2024. She explains that beneath the populist energy of the MAGA movement lies a smaller but highly influential network of intellectuals who built a deliberate ideological case against postwar liberal internationalism and fusionist conservatism. Together, they explore the different intellectual camps within this "New Right" and their varying and sometimes conflicting visions of the American founding. Dr. Laura K. Field is an associate with the Illiberalism Studies Program at George Washington University, a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, and visiting scholar in residence at American University. She is the author of Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right (Princeton University Press, 2025).**This episode was recorded on May 29, 2026**Show Notes:An Introductory Overview of Furious MindsLaura K. Field, “The Intellectual Edgelords of the GOP” (The Atlantic, 2026)Laura K. Field, “The Closing of the MAGA Mind” (NYT, 2025).Thomas W. Merrill, “Wrestling With the Founding in the Culture Wars” (Law & Liberty, 2024)Lincoln, Speech at Springfield, June 26, 1857If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgramLearn more about Academic & Student ProgramsFollow the Mercatus Center on Twitter: @mercatus

How much inequality can a democracy withstand before citizens push back? That was the central question explored in BigTentUSA's conversation on June 17 with "The New Yorker" staff writer and author Evan Osnos, moderated by Ed Luce, "Financial Times" US National Editor.Drawing from his latest reporting and book “The Haves and the Have-Yachts“, Osnos examined the growing concentration of wealth and power in America, arguing that today's oligarchs wield influence not only through money, but through control of information, technology, and political institutions. The discussion explored the unprecedented alliance between political power and extreme wealth, the rise of tech billionaires, and the ways social media and artificial intelligence could accelerate economic inequality in the years ahead.The conversation also looked abroad for lessons, highlighting how corruption and democratic backsliding have unfolded in countries such as Hungary—and what Americans can learn from those experiences.The takeaway was clear: democratic change rarely begins with majorities. It starts when engaged citizens decide enough is enough—and take action to make democracy work for everyone.Learn more about Evan's book “The Haves and Have-Yachts”:https://www.simonandschuster.com/book... Check out Evan's podcast “The Political Scene”:https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/pol... Read Evan's article “Oligarch-in-Chief”:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-fhy... Explore Ed's work:https://www.ft.com/edward-luce ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:Evan Osnos has been a staff writer at "The New Yorker" since 2008. In addition, he is co-host of The New Yorker's "Political Scene" podcast, and a nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. His coverage ranges from politics and foreign affairs to white-collar crime and espionage. His first book, “Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth, and Faith in the New China,” won the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His latest book “The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich,” was an instant "New York Times" bestseller. Prior to "The New Yorker", he worked as the Beijing bureau chief for the "Chicago Tribune", where he was on teams that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2001 and 2008. Before his assignment to China, he worked in the Middle East, reporting mostly from Iraq. He lives with his family near Washington, D.C.Edward Luce is the US national editor and columnist at the "Financial Times". Before that he was the FT's Washington Bureau chief. Other roles have included South Asia bureau chief, Capital Markets editor, and Philippines Correspondent. Luce was previously the speechwriter for US Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers, in the Clinton administration.He is the author of four highly acclaimed books: "Zbig, The Life of Zbig Brzezinski: America's Great Power Prophet" (2025); "The Retreat of Western Liberalism" (2017); "Time to Start Thinking: America in the Age of Descent" (2012); and "In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India" (2007). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bigtentnews.substack.com

From June 4, 2016: This week, the Brookings Institution held an event on a new Brookings report on implementation of the Iran Deal: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) adopted by Iran and the P5+1 partners in July 2015 was an effort not only to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons but also to avert a nuclear arms competition in the Middle East. But uncertainties surrounding the future of the Iran nuclear deal, including the question of what Iran will do when key JCPOA restrictions on its nuclear program expire after 15 years, could provide incentives for some of its neighbors to keep their nuclear options open.In their Brookings Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Series monograph, “The Iran Nuclear Deal: Prelude to Proliferation in the Middle East?,” Robert Einhorn and Richard Nephew assess the current status of the JCPOA and explore the likelihood that, in the wake of the agreement, regional countries will pursue their own nuclear weapons programs or at least latent nuclear weapons capabilities. Drawing on interviews with senior government officials and non-government experts from the region, they focus in depth on the possible motivations and capabilities of Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates for pursuing nuclear weapons. The monograph also offers recommendations for policies to reinforce the JCPOA and reduce the likelihood that countries of the region will seek nuclear weapons.On May 31, the Brookings Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative hosted a panel to discuss the impact of the JCPOA on prospects for nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. Brookings Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of Foreign Policy Suzanne Maloney served as moderator. Panelists included H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States; Derek Chollet, counselor and senior advisor for security and defense policy at the German Marshall Fund; Brookings Senior Fellow Robert Einhorn; and Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Richard Nephew.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Shapiro is joined by Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman, whose distinguished diplomatic career includes serving as U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Amb. Feltman, now a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, discusses the fragile state of the U.S.–Iran ceasefire and progress toward talks for a long-term diplomatic agreement. He assesses Iran's core objectives, the strategic sidelining of Israel, and how Tehran's survival alters the calculus for Russia and China in global geopolitics. Amb. Feltman also maps out a "new normal" for the region defined by cliffhanging diplomatic extensions and localized proxy skirmishes rather than a definitive peace.

This week on the podcast, our guest is Angela Stent, a globally recognized authority on U.S.-Russia relations. Angela has held senior roles at Georgetown University, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Brookings Institution, the U.S. State Department, the National Intelligence Council, and the Council on Foreign Relations, among others. She is also an award-winning author; some of her books include The Limits of Partnership: U.S.-Russian Relations in the Twenty-First Century (2014) and Putin's World: Russia Against the West and with the Rest (2019). Russia's war with Ukraine is increasingly becoming an energy war. As Ukraine's long-range strike capabilities improve, it has begun hitting Russian energy infrastructure with growing success, meaningfully reducing Russia's ability to produce refined products and crude oil. Jackie and Peter explore the complex geopolitics of the conflict with Angela, including Russia's relationships with Europe, the United States, and China. They also discuss the implications for Canada, including the growing attractiveness of energy from a stable supplier, a point recognized at the recent G7 meeting in France, where Canada was identified as a welcome source of energy to diversify away from supply routed through the Strait of Hormuz. Jackie and Peter ask Angela: Ukraine has delivered military strikes deep inside Russia this year — does that kind of pressure move Putin toward ending the war? How does Putin view the recent U.S.-Iran conflict, and what are the implications for the Russia-Ukraine war? Beyond Ukraine, is Russia a threat to other European countries? What is a realistic path to ending the war, and what would the best-case scenario look like? Content referenced on this podcast: G7 leaders' statement on geopolitical issues (June 17, 2026), welcoming the potential of Canada to deliver significant additional capacity to global markets in the coming years  Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/Check us out on social media:X (Twitter): @arcenergyinstLinkedIn: @ARC Energy Research InstituteSubscribe to ARC Energy Ideas PodcastApple PodcastsAmazon MusicSpotify

More than 100 days into the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, both sides remain trapped between the ever-present danger of serious escalation and an elusive negotiated, pathway out of the conflict. As negotiations stall, Iran and the U.S. are still struggling over core issues while Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz have emerged as significant triggers for escalation. What are the major obstacles standing in way of a U.S.-Iran agreement? Are U.S. objectives aligned with Israel? And what are the prospects for turning a short-term deal into a durable agreement?   Join Aaron David Miller as he engages the Brookings Institution's Suzanne Maloney and the Carnegie Endowment's Karim Sadjadpour in a wide-ranging conversation on these and other issues, on Carnegie Connects.

From February 21, 2025: Before January, most Americans had probably never heard of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS), a Treasury Department agency that distributes payments from the federal government. But over the last month, this corner of government has appeared again and again in the headlines, as aides working with Elon Musk's quasi-governmental DOGE initiative successfully gained access to BFS's payment systems. After a flurry of litigation, a temporary restraining order now bars these aides from accessing data—but the crisis is not over. It's still not clear precisely what happened within BFS or what access political actors within the administration might gain in the future, and DOGE continues to access similarly sensitive systems in other agencies, such as the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service.To understand what's happening, Senior Editor Quinta Jurecic spoke with Wendy Edelberg, director of the Hamilton Project and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Jacob Leibenluft, who served in the Treasury Department and the Office of Management and Budget under the Biden administration. Why is it so alarming to have political appointees accessing BFS systems? What does this tell us about the administration's political goals? And what manner of crises could result from this kind of meddling? To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Data centers are massive and thirsty for water and power. Iowans are split on whether they're good neighbors. On this episode, the data center debate as cities and counties throughout the state are weighing potential data center installations. First, a Brookings Institution researcher on what rural communities stand to gain and lose from these developments. Then, Linn County Supervisor Sami Scheetz joins to discuss the ordinance they passed earlier this year and how it compares to other local governments' approaches to recent data center proposals. Iowa's state geologist discusses whether Iowa's groundwater supply can handle the demand from data centers. And a public health researcher joins to discuss the public health implications from data centers powered by nonrenewable sources.

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

An in-depth examination of how the United States can build more effective partner militaries. Military assistance has a bad reputation. Large-scale attempts to build partner militaries in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Vietnam cost the United States billions of dollars and ended ignominiously, with the collapse of local forces as American troops withdrew. Arms transfers of sophisticated, American-made weapons often appear to do more harm than good. Yet military assistance and support—operating indirectly through partners—when done right, can deliver remarkable strategic results for the United States and its partners. Working effectively with partner militaries is one of the most pressing national security challenges for the United States today. In their latest book, War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance (Yale University Press, 2026), Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes offer a systematic look at military assistance in the twenty-first century, examining a frequently deployed but often misunderstood set of tools that allows the United States to leverage partner militaries to achieve national security objectives. Bennet and Noyes posit that two main factors—the degree of interest alignment on security issues and the level of institutional capacity of the receiving force—will be the most important variables in Washington's ability to build militarily effective partners. Our guests today are Doctor Richard Bennet, who is a senior research associate at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, and Doctor Alexander Noyes, who is a fellow in the Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution. Our host is Eleonora Mattiacci, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Amherst College. She is the author of Volatile States in International Politics (Oxford University Press, 2023).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science

To discuss the latest developments in the conflict between the U.S. and Iran, Amna Nawaz spoke with Joel Rayburn and Suzanne Maloney. Rayburn is a retired Army colonel and is now at the Hudson Institute. Maloney served in the State Department during the George W. Bush administration and is now at the Brookings Institution. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Early this morning, Iran launched retaliatory strikes on American bases in the region, after the US military struck strategic locations near the Strait of Hormuz, which were themselves a response to Iran's downing of a US Army helicopter earlier this week. This came shortly after Iran and Israel exchanged fire over the weekend. Suzanne Maloney is a leading expert on Iran and the Persian Gulf policy at the Brookings Institution. She joins the show to discuss the latest.  Also on today's show: former Irish Senator-turned-journalist Maira Cahill; Heidi Blake, Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Shell US President Colette Hirstius    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Courtney Radsch reports on the political and economic impact of synthetic media and the stultifying consequences of our increasingly low-quality, high-fat media diet.  Courtney and Kimberly discuss the range of journalistic endeavors; synthetic media's entrée on the scene; disinformation vs. propaganda; competing with AI in the marketplace of ideas; content verification, labeling and trust; how synthetic media depends on and undermines journalism; information as a social, political and economic concern; embedded AI ideologies; equating regulation with censorship; information warfare; cognitive liberty in an age of corporate dominance; infrastructure and intent; the need for bright line protections, pluralism and independent oversight.Dr. Courtney Radsch, PhD is the Director of the Center for Media and Digital Governance (formerly CJL) and a non-resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution.  An award-winning journalist, scholar, diplomat, and human rights advocate, Courtney was recently named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics.Related Resources:Same Gatekeepers, New Tollbooths: Mapping the AI Content Licensing Market (CMDG Research Report)The Algorithm Loses Its Immunity (Article)The Pentagon Wants Its Panopticon (Article)The Battle for Cognitive Liberty in the Age of Corporate AI (Tech Policy Press)A transcript of this episode is here.

The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution halting U.S. military action against Iran. In this excerpt from the Insider podcast, Ben Wittes joins Preet Bharara and Joyce Vance to discuss its legal and political significance. Wittes is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Lawfare and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. In the full episode, they cover:  – A reported plea deal between the Justice Department and President Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton; – Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence; and – Trump's appointment of Todd Blanche as Attorney General. To support the show and gain access to full Insider episodes, become a member at cafe.com/insider or staytuned.substack.com/subscribe.  CAFE Insiders click HERE to listen to the full analysis.  Subscribe to our YouTube channel. This podcast is brought to you by CAFE and Vox Media Podcast Network.  Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Supervising Producer: Jake Kaplan; Associate Producer: Claudia Hernández; Senior Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; CAFE Team: Celine Rohr, Nat Weiner, Jennifer Indig, and Liana Greenway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CoinDesk's The Policy Protocol hosts Rebecca Rettig and Renato Mariotti dig into the New York Times investigation of the CFTC and Kalshi's latest lawsuit against Minnesota before sitting down with Aaron Klein, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Klein argues that independent financial regulators have been turned into "subsidiaries of the White House," warns that the CFTC is not structurally up to the jurisdiction CLARITY would hand it, and makes the case that the SEC and CFTC should be merged. He also unpacks lessons from Dodd-Frank and the savings-and-loan crisis. Plus, Rebecca and Renato debrief on the CFTC staffing debate and name House Agriculture Chairman GT Thompson and Ranking Member Angie Craig as their People of the Week for their bipartisan push to fill out the CFTC commission. - Timecodes: 00:00 Welcome to The Policy Protocol 00:43 All Roads Lead to the CFTC 01:22 Unpacking the NYT's CFTC Investigation 02:41 Pendulum Swing: Reading the NYT in Context 05:11 Why the CFTC Needs Funding and Personnel 06:52 Aaron Klein Joins the Show 07:30 The History of the CFTC and the Great Salad Oil Swindle 08:10 Independent Regulators as White House Subsidiaries 09:39 Dodd-Frank Lessons for the CLARITY Era 11:47 The Case for Merging the SEC and CFTC 13:21 PolyMarket, Soft on Financial Crime, and CZ/Binance 15:06 SEC-CFTC Office Sharing and the Value of MOUs 18:16 Renato and Rebecca Debrief on the CFTC's Future 21:45 Trump on Prediction Markets and Expanded Jurisdiction 22:30 People of the Week: GT Thompson and Angie Craig 24:26 Tribute to Ondo CEO Nathan Allman 25:01 Closing Thoughts and Sign-Off

The Trump administration put out new rules last Friday that require people to apply for green cards from abroad instead of from inside the U.S., which has been custom for immigrants seeking permanent residency status. Immigration attorney Richard Herman explains what he's hearing from his clients and what remains unclear.Then, protests continue outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in New Jersey as detainees inside stage a hunger strike over poor conditions. Bergen Record reporter Ricardo Kaulessar shares more.And, a new report from the Brookings Institution found about 145,000 children have been separated from their families during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Author Tara Watson details the impact of separation on those families.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Throughout the war, the U.S.' main objectives have fluctuated from regime change, to stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, to reopening the strategic straight of Hormuz. Robert Kagan, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution, explains why the U.S. will likely come out of the war weaker than before.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.This episode was produced by Daniel Ofman, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna.It was edited by Sarah Robbins.Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Since the start of President Donald Trump's second term, the administration has detained nearly half a million immigrants, according to a new report. But the number of children they leave behind and what happens to them, most of whom are U.S. citizens, is largely unknown. White House correspondent Liz Landers discussed more with Tara Watson of the Brookings Institution. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

John welcomes Brookings Institution fellow and erstwhile neocon luminary Robert Kagan to discuss his buzzy recent piece in The Atlantic about the inevitability of American defeat in Iran. Kagan argues that the U.S. is not only losing the war now but has no plausible path to victory; that simply throwing in the towel is the least bad option available to Donald Trump, though its implications are beyond grim; and that the Trump-Xi Jinping summit in Beijing was a “ratification of the new reality” as to the relative power and prestige of their countries in the world today. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The United States and China are really the only two countries that matter right now in shaping the A.I. future. As President Trump and President Xi Jinping meet in Beijing, there's a kind of Cold War atmosphere, with people talking about an A.I. arms race. But who is winning? Are we even in a race at all? Kyle Chan, a foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, says it's hard to call it a race because the U.S. and China have very different A.I. goals. 00:00:25 U.S. vs. China in A.I. 00:03:07 Everyday A.I. in China 00:07:41 China's A.I. chip limitations 00:12:14 China's A.I. advantage: energy & deployment 00:16:10 China's public mood on A.I. 00:19:44 AI, job displacement and social concerns 00:23:53 Robots for China's labor shortage 00:26:55 China's view on America's AGI fixation 00:31:16 Distilling A.I. models 00:38:39 U.S. needs more A.I. deployment 00:41:48 U.S. chip policy and the hawk's argument (A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.) Thoughts? Email us at interestingtimes@nytimes.com. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel,  Interesting Times with Ross Douthat . Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nearly everything that politicians say about taxes is at least half a lie. They are also dishonest when it comes to the national debt. In this update of an episode from 2025, Stephen Dubner finds one of the few people in Washington who is willing to tell the truth — and it's even worse than you think.   SOURCES: Jessica Riedl, budget and tax fellow at the Brookings Institution.   RESOURCES: "How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little?" by Emily Badger, David Fahrenthold, Alicia Parlapiano, and Margot Sanger-Katz (New York Times, 2025). "Correcting the Top 10 Tax Myths," by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024). "Spending, Taxes, and Deficits: A Book of Charts," by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024). "Why Did Americans Stop Caring About the National Debt?" by Jessica Riedl (Reason, 2024). "A Comprehensive Federal Budget Plan to Avert a Debt Crisis," by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2024). "When Does Federal Debt Reach Unsustainable Levels?" by Jagadeesh Gokhale, Kent Smetters, and Mariko Paulson (The Wharton School of Business, 2023). "The Limits of Taxing the Rich," by Jessica Riedl (Manhattan Institute, 2023).   EXTRAS: "Farewell to a Generational Talent," by Freakonomics Radio (2024).   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.