The Brookings Current

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Will Russia launch a full military invasion of Ukraine? Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

As Russian troops gather on Ukraine's borders, the outstanding question is whether Russian President Putin is prepared to bear the domestic and international costs of a full-scale invasion or if he'll stop at pressuring NATO and the West for political concessions. Steven Pifer explains why a military incursion in 2022 will not be as easy for Russia as annexing Crimea in 2014, and where there are avenues for dialogue to defuse the brewing confrontation.

Full show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3DTflJK

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The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

What does Congress need to get done before the holidays? Dec 03, 2021

Show notes

After passing a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government operating into the new year, Congress still has a very full to-do list for the final weeks of 2021. Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds runs through the most pressing items on the congressional agenda, including raising the debt limit, what may be slowing the legislative process, and what it could take to alter the filibuster to pass voting rights legislation.

Full show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/31wsOte

Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Do COP26 pledges make enough progress on climate change? Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

The COP26 climate conference in Glasgow produced new agreements and pledges from 196 countries to continue cutting emissions in an effort to keep the global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. But will it be enough? Samantha Gross highlights some of the significant pledges and the need for more action.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/32g849J

Follow Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Will the Facebook whistleblower's testimony spur new US digital regulation? Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen's testimony on the social media platform's business practices may have been an eye-opened for members of Congress, says former FCC Chair Tom Wheeler, but this and other recent revelations are just the canary in the coal mine for the broader digital ecosystem. Wheeler points to a lack of government oversight that has left digital platforms to make their own rules, and what responses may be forthcoming from the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Justice, and state-level actors.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3ve5cEU

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 Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Will new Prime Minister Fumio Kishida bring change to Japan? Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

Fumio Kishida was elected as Japan's new prime minister after former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga lost public support and political backing over his handling of the coronavirus and the Olympics. While Kishida's early moves reflect a continuation of his predecessors' economic and diplomatic principles, an early general election at the end of October may give him stronger backing to put his own mark on policies from relations with China to income inequality.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3AeZwuR

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 Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

After 16 years of Angela Merkel, what's next for Germany? Sep 17, 2021

Show notes

Angela Merkel has been Germany's chancellor through a series of massive crises. Ahead of the September 26 elections, Constanze Stelzenmüller explains that the question of how Germany's next leader will shape the country's role as an anchor of Europe will have far-reaching consequences in a future in which crises are the new normal.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3lyFwy7

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 Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

What does back-to-school look like during COVID? Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

Jon Valant examines how the continued surge in COVID-19 cases is challenging educators, administrators, and parents to manage students' return to the classroom safely, and how national politics is affecting local decisionmaking.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3gP9i03

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 Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

What did Kamala Harris' trip do for US engagement in Southeast Asia? Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

Building on previous visits from high-level Cabinet officials, Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Singapore and Vietnam adds positive momentum to the Biden administration's efforts to re-engage with key partners in Southeast Asia. Jonathan Stromseth explains why it's important for America to expand its political and economic agenda in the region with an eye to deepening positive, long-term relationships, not just to counter China's security and economic influence.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/38h6tjE

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 Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

How does the Senate infrastructure bill invest in future resilience and growth? Aug 10, 2021

Show notes

The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act "is a huge first step to tackle long-range challenges" like climate change, says Adie Tomer. The $1 trillion investment in water and power infrastructure, expanding broadband and rail, and changing how communities are developed will "give us a good chance to go into the laboratory to see what the future of the country might look like, and then continue to double down on that going forward."

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/2VHnIYo

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 Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

The eviction ban has been extended — for now. What comes next? Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

Although the CDC's eviction moratorium has been temporarily extended, approximately 6 million households are behind on their rent and potentially at risk of eviction, while states and cities have struggled to distribute the billions in emergency rental assistance allocated by Congress last year.

Jenny Schuetz examines the challenges in getting aid money to renters and how to better support renters and landlords when federal and local eviction bans eventually expire.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3xraSuB

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 Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

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