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The Brookings Current — News & Politics
The Brookings Current

The Brookings Current brings you smart, timely, and quick analysis from experts at the Brookings Institution on breaking news and current policy conversations. In these short episodes, learn not only what’s happening, but why and how to make sense of it.

Copyright: © The Brookings Institution

Latest Episodes:

Can the Trump administration freeze federal spending? Jan 29, 2025

Show notes

This week, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) ordered a freeze of funding across a broad array of federal programs, leading to mass confusion around the country from local governments, nonprofits, and individuals. While that particular order appears to have been rescinded, Molly Reynolds explains how it touches on foundational questions of Congress' spending power and constitutional authorities, and how it's just one of the Trump administration's first steps to try to dramatically remake the size and scope of the federal government.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/can-the-trump-administration-freeze-federal-spending

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

What might US rural policy look like in the Trump administration? Dec 20, 2024

Show notes

As the Trump administration prepares to take power in Washington, Senior Fellow Tony Pipa, host of the Reimagine Rural podcast, looks at what has happened in rural policy under the Biden administration and what shifts in federal policy and emphasis might ensue under President Trump. No matter what changes come, Pipa notes, local communities will continue to solve problems locally.

Show notes and transcript:

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/what-might-us-rural-policy-look-like-in-the-trump-administration/

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

What's next for Syria and the region after Assad's fall? Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

On December 8, Syrian rebels took control of Damascus, the nation's capital. Deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia, marking the end of a long civil war and his 24-year-long brutal reign, which followed his father's nearly 30-year rule. Syrians are rightfully celebrating, even as they're freeing people from notorious regime prisons and looking to transition away from decades of repression. Steven Heydemann, a nonresident senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy here at Brookings and the Ketcham Chair of Middle East studies at Smith College, talks about the implications of Assad's fall for the region and the world.

Show notes and transcript:

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/whats-next-for-syria-and-the-region-after-assads-fall/

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Election 2024 and the health of American democracy Oct 31, 2024

Show notes

As the U.S. heads into the final days of the 2024 elections, Kathryn Dunn Tenpas reviews the health of American democracy, the lack of guardrails against mis- and disinformation, and ways to restore public trust.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/election-2024-and-the-health-of-american-democracy

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Government spending, debt, and taxes in the 2024 election Oct 16, 2024

Show notes

The economy is one of the quadrennial top issues for American voters, and related to economic performance are concerns about the national debt, taxes, and government spending, especially on popular entitlements like Social Security and Medicare. On this episode, Ben Harris, vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings, talks with host Fred Dews about how these issues are seen by American voters during election season and beyond.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/government-spending-debt-and-taxes-in-the-2024-election/

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Making housing more affordable Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

The high cost of housing is a significant economic pressure for many Americans, even as inflation has eased. Homeowners and renters alike pay increasingly higher percentages of their income on housing, and homelessness reached a record high in 2023.

Recorded in front of a live audience, this episode of The Current features Brookings Senior Fellow Jenny Schuetz and San Francisco Chronicle Washington Correspondent Shira Stein discussing how the Harris and Trump campaigns are talking about the housing crisis, and what federal and local lawmakers can do to incentivize homebuilding and make rent and homebuying costs more affordable.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/making-housing-more-affordable/ ‎

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

As the UN General Assembly gets underway, how are we doing on the Sustainable Development Goals? Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

The 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations opened this week in New York City. To address some of the main issues on the agenda, with a focus on sustainable development and the Summit of the Future, is John McArthur, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings and a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/as-joe-biden-exits-the-presidential-race-whats-next-for-kamala-harris/

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

Competing energy and climate visions in the 2024 presidential election Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

As part of the Brookings Election '24 initiative, Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings, talks about the energy and climate policy issues in the U.S. presidential election as voters think about how either a Harris administration or a second Trump administration would approach these matters.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/competing-energy-and-climate-visions-in-the-2024-presidential-election/

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

As Joe Biden exits the presidential race, what's next for Kamala Harris? Jul 23, 2024

Show notes

On Sunday, July 21st, President Joe Biden announced that he would no longer seek the Democratic Party's nomination for president in the election against Donald Trump this November. He then endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination.

To talk about this momentous development in the 2024 presidential election, E.J. Dionne joins The Current. He is the W. Averell Harriman Chair and senior fellow in Governance Studies here at Brookings. He's also a syndicated columnist for The Washington Post and university professor in the foundations of democracy and culture at Georgetown University.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/as-joe-biden-exits-the-presidential-race-whats-next-for-kamala-harris/

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

The state of NATO at 75 and beyond Jul 12, 2024

Show notes

As NATO turns 75, alliance leaders gathered in Washington, presenting a united front in support of Ukraine's survival against the threat of Russia. Brookings Visiting Fellow James Goldgeier reviews the NATO summit's outcomes, how the organization is trying to prepare for the uncertainty of American leadership after November, and the broader challenges—and partners—in NATO's future.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-state-of-nato-at-75-and-beyond

Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.

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