The Brookings Cafeteria

Latest Episodes:

Challenges to early childhood education in the wake of COVID-19 Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

As students return to schools across the country, this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria features a rebroadcast of a recent online event from the Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings on the present and future of early childhood education in the U.S. in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brookings scholar Jon Valant, director of the Brown Center, moderated a panel discussion with Miriam Calderon, deputy assistant secretary for policy and early learning at the U.S. Department of Education; Jenna Conway, the deputy superintendent of early childhood education in the Virginia Department of Education, and Christina Weiland, associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Michigan. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/2Vbr9H1 Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Why high unemployment persists for Black workers Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

Disparities between Black workers and white workers in employment and labor force participation existed long before the coronavirus pandemic, and the economic recovery following easing of COVID-19 restrictions has been felt unevenly, especially for Black teens. On this episode, expert Kristen Broady discusses her research on this problem and shares policy ideas for a more equitable economic recovery. Broady is a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and a professor of financial economics, on leave, at Dillard University in New Orleans. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3k8Lt4b Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The Taliban takes Afghanistan Aug 20, 2021

Show notes

On this episode, in the wake of the Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan, a discussion of the forces and issues that have shaped Afghanistan over the last two decades and will continue to do so with Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in Foreign Policy and the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at Brookings,. Her insights on what has happened in Afghanistan help make sense of an incredibly complex situation and offer some ideas of what to expect moving forward. This conversation took place on Monday, August 16, just the day after Taliban forces entered Kabul. Also, Governance Studies Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds explains what's happening in Congress in the context of the dramatic and dynamic situation in Afghanistan, including attention to an increased effort to resettle refugees from there. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3stmn3B Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Why it's harder for American workers to get ahead, and what we can do about it Aug 13, 2021

Show notes

On this 400th episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, Marcela Escobari, a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development at Brookings, talks about her new report on how to tackle the worker mobility crisis in the U.S. economy. In the face of rising inequality, stagnating wages, a shrinking middle class, and now a global pandemic, many American workers are finding it difficult getting ahead. And today, millions of low-wage workers lack job security and benefits and face the threat of dislocation due to automation and other factors. Also, in a new Sustainable Development Spotlight, Senior Fellow George Ingram shares his insights on why we need better data quality reporting to track donor funding that advances gender equality. Too often, Ingram says, women and girls are left out of the development process, leading to inequitable societies and less productive economies. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/2VOdmWw Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How to make retirement income more accessible for all Americans Aug 06, 2021

Show notes

Millions of households have built financial security through pensions and retirement saving plans, but millions more remain unable to access these wealth accumulation vehicles. In a new book from the Brookings Institution Press, "Wealth After Work: Innovative Reforms to Expand Retirement Security," editors William Gale, Mark Iwry, and David John present proposals that show how policymakers can help all Americans gain access to retirement saving accounts, obtain better information about their saving choices, and better manage their wealth in retirement. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Brookings Press Director Bill Finan interviews Mark Iwry, a nonresident senior fellow in Economic Studies, and David John, deputy director of the Retirement Security Project at Brookings and a senior policy advisor with AARP's Public Policy Institute, about the book. Also on this episode, Robert Maxim, a senior research associate in the Metropolitan Policy Program, offers a new Metro Lens segment on how federal investment in regional public universities can support distressed communities. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3lxi5GY Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

After the COVID-19 lockdowns, how to fix benefit delivery tech for workers Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

The COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 caused a tidal wave of displaced workers who applied for unemployment insurance, or UI. But states, hampered by limited staff and outdated systems, struggled to get relief to these workers quickly and to implement expanded UI programs under the CARES Act. On this episode, a discussion with Annelies Goger, co-author of a new report that focuses on a holistic redesign of the labor and education digital ecosystems to improve user experience and equity in access. Goger, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, is co-author with Janie McDermott of "Digital transformation in labor and education systems: Improving the government response to the next unemployment crisis." Also on this episode, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder asks and answers four questions about the politics of the House Select Committee's investigation into the attacks on the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3f5KW1h Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

A plan for marijuana policy reform Jul 23, 2021

Show notes

An interview with Brookings Senior Fellow John Hudak about his new paper, "Reversing the War on Drugs: A five-point plan," in which he lays out a series of policy actions the Biden administration could take short of full federal legalization to promote justice and equity and to help reverse some of what he calls the disastrous consequences of the War on Drugs. Also on this episode, Senior Fellow David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, explains how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in our financial markets--especially in the "shadow banking system," such as bond mutual funds. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3ybPBq5 Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The Trump Organization tax fraud charges Jul 16, 2021

Show notes

Just days before tax fraud, larceny, and other charges against the Trump Organization and one of its top executives were filed in New York, Brookings published a report by four leading experts titled "New York State's Trump Investigation: An analysis of the reported facts and applicable law." On this episode, one of the report's co-authors—Ambassador Norm Eisen, a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings, discusses the report's findings. This conversation occurred after the initial charges were filed, but before any other legal developments occurred. Also on this episode, Tony Pipa, senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings, focuses on opportunities for development in rural America in the Biden administration's American Rescue Plan. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3hGoo8T Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Global China's growing role in the world Jul 09, 2021

Show notes

China is no longer just a rising power; it is now a truly global actor, economically and militarily. In a new book from the Brookings Institution Press, a collection of experts provides a broad assessment of the implications of China's role as a world power. The book, "Global China: Assessing China's Growing Role in the World," is edited by Tarun Chhabra, Rush Doshi, Ryan Hass, and Emilie Kimball. On this episode of the Brookings Cafeteria, Brookings Press Director Bill Finan interviews Hass and Kimball about the book. Also on this episode, Metropolitan Policy Program Fellow Joseph Parilla offers a metro lens on how the 1.9 trillion dollar American Rescue Plan provides significant and flexible funding to local and state governments to help catalyze economic recovery through small business relief, creation, and expansion. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3yHZ9Jf Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Dirty money in offshore banks Jul 02, 2021

Show notes

Billions of dollars and other currencies are in tax havens outside the owner's country of origin, allowing individuals and corporations to evade taxation by their home governments. Since many of these offshore accounts are secret, it's difficult to trace what's legal and what is not. In new research, Brookings expert Matthew Collin, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Global Economy and Development, examines a leaked dataset from a bank in the Isle of Man to find some interesting discoveries about who owns these accounts. In this conversation, Collin discusses his findings and some policy ideas to address the problem of dirty money. Also on this episode, Governance Studies Senior Fellow Sarah Binder talks about what's happening in Congress, with a look at five things you need to know about the road ahead for President Biden's infrastructure plans in Congress. Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3w7rabf Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

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