The Brookings Current
News & Politics
About
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.
Episodes
- The Iran war is making energy more expensive for everyone
The Brookings Current discusses the energy disruption from the Strait of Hormuz closure. Senior fellow Adie Tomer and Director Samantha Gross examine the crisis's impact on American consumers and the United States.
- How executive orders are reshaping Black America
Keon Gilbert, Jonathan Cox, and Tonantzin Carmona discuss the impact of Trump-era executive orders on immigration enforcement, elections, and diversity initiatives, particularly concerning Black Americans.
- Will the Iran ceasefire hold?
The Brookings Current discusses the war in Iran reaching a turning point with an indefinite ceasefire and ongoing Strait of Hormuz attacks. Experts analyze the conflict's future, US-Iran strategic interests, and potential paths to peace.
- What does the future hold for the IRS and Postal Service?
Senior Fellows Elena Patel and Vanessa Williamson discuss the critical state of the IRS and Postal Service, exploring the effects of budget cuts and the potential for reform.
- Rahm Emanuel: Both parties are failing American students
Former U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel states that culture wars have distracted from the needs of American K-12 students. He speaks with Jon Valant about the issues and school improvement efforts.
- Off the court: How one basketball star's death is saving lives
Research shows that investing in programs and places for youth to participate in sports can reduce gun violence. But what can the people most directly affected do in the wake of tragedy? In this episode, part two of a conversation, Brookin…
- What does China want from a Trump-Xi summit?
This episode of The Current features excerpts from a new Brookings podcast, The Beijing Brief , on which scholars from the China Center at Brookings discuss a range of issues in the U.S.-China relationship. On this episode, they focus on w…
- Beyond the Bracket: How basketball can prevent gun violence
Can investing in youth sports—especially in certain neighborhoods where children are particularly vulnerable—reduce gun violence? In this episode, Rashawn Ray, senior Brookings Governance Studies fellow, leads a conversation on the role th…
- How Minneapolis-Saint Paul community leaders responded to Operation Metro Surge
Brookings Metro Senior Fellow Joe Parilla speaks with Alma Flores, executive director of the Latino Economic Development Center, and Peter Frosch, CEO of the GREATER MSP Partnership, about how their Minnesota-based organizations responded…
- Can Iran's regime survive the war?
Two weeks into the United States' and Israel's war with Iran, there are increasingly urgent questions about Iran's future and the Trump administration's objectives. In this episode of The Current, Brookings Fellow Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is joine…
- What's next for the Iran war? Experts discuss.
This week, Brookings experts convened to discuss the Iran war and its implications for Iran, the Middle East, and international security. This episode of The Current offers highlights from that event, moderated by Michael O'Hanlon, and inc…
- Americans are not as divided by race as it seems
In new research, scholars at the Center for Community Uplift at Brookings and Gallup find a high degree of interracial cooperation across key aspects of American life such as work, relationships, and family. In this episode of The Current…
- From the halls of the Munich Security Conference
With the annual Munich Security Conference now wrapped, Brookings expert Constanze Stelzenmüller brings back insights from the conversations unfolding on the ground. In her conversation with Aslı Aydintaşbaş, Stelzenmüller, director of the…
- What's the state of our Union?
The first State of the Union address of President Trump's second term is coming up, but Brookings scholars aren't waiting for the speech to take the country's pulse. In this episode, E.J. Dionne asks Molly Reynolds, Wendy Edelberg, and Mel…
- Did 'America First' tariffs work?
In the first year of his second term, President Trump has conducted a trade policy that features tariff cuts, tariff raises, and tariff exemptions. While the economic impacts of this tariff approach are uncertain, it's clear that the post-…
- ICE: A predictable pattern of tragedy in Minneapolis
The violence in Minneapolis has become a flashpoint for a national debate regarding ICE and immigration enforcement. In this episode of The Current, Gabriel Sanchez and Rashawn Ray, senior fellows in Governance Studies at Brookings, analyz…
- The myth of American isolationism
Brookings senior fellows Michael O'Hanlon and Robert Kagan discuss O'Hanlon's latest book, To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution , an examination of 250 years of U.S. defense policy around the world. "Isolationi…
- Iran's uprising: What's the endgame?
In recent days, the Iranian regime has conducted an unprecedented and bloody crackdown on protests across Iran. In this episode, Brookings Fellow Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is joined by two Iran experts, vice president of Foreign Policy Suzanne Malo…
- Do AI's risks outweigh the benefits for students and schools?
Are we heading in the right direction with AI in education, or drifting into a "wild west" of privacy risks and lost learning? In this episode, Rebecca Winthrop, senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings…
- What did the US achieve in the Venezuela operation?
Scott Anderson and Caitlin Talmadge discuss the legal, tactical, and strategic angles of the recent U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Anderson, a fellow in Governance Studies and general c…
- Gov. Andy Beshear: How health care powers rural economies
Tony Pipa, senior fellow at the Center for Sustainable Development and host of the Reimagine Rural podcast, sits down with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to discuss what the governor calls the "biggest threat to rural healthcare in my life…
- Behind the negotiating table to end the Russia-Ukraine war
A recent flurry of negotiations among American, Russian, Ukrainian, and European officials to find a diplomatic solution to end the Russia-Ukraine war has, so far, been unsuccessful. To discuss Putin's negotiation tactics, the reality on t…
- Are students and workers ready for AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI), is heralding a profound shift in how we learn, work, and live. To gain insight into how AI is reshaping the American workforce and economy, two Brookings experts join this episode of The Current. First, Molly…
- Inside the next Democracy Playbook: Strategies for global democratic U-turns
In this episode, ACDS chair Norm Eisen discusses the forthcoming fourth edition of the Democracy Playbook and the emerging research showing how democracies can reverse democratic backsliding. He explains how the new edition—released on a r…
- The catastrophe in Sudan
The conflict in Sudan is the world's worst humanitarian crisis. More than 150,000 people have died; millions have fled their homes and are starving; and prospects for a ceasefire are bleak. To discuss the roots of the war, the humanitarian…
- Chicago's Latino business community is adapting in the face of policy volatility
Little Village, a Latino business corridor in Chicago, has been contending with tariffs, immigration enforcement, and other changes in federal policy. But business owners have been figuring out new ways to make money, sell their products,…
- Why are expiring ACA subsidies raising health insurance premiums?
With expanded subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans set to expire at the end of 2025, Americans on ACA health plans are starting to see big increases in their monthly health insurance premiums for 2026 as insurers send out annual notices…
- Can the COP30 climate conference achieve its goals?
The thirtieth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP30, meets in Belém, Brazil next week. The most urgent challenge is finance: How do we pay for the massive global shift away from fo…
- Syria at a crossroads
After years of war, Syria is attempting to rebuild under a new government. Brookings Fellow and Director of the Turkey Project Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is joined by Visiting Fellow Mara Karlin, a former assistant secretary of defense, who recently…
- APEC 2025: What's at stake?
The annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, or APEC, starts October 31 in South Korea. Leaders from the twenty-one Pacific Rim economies are expected to attend. In this episode of The Current, two Brookings senior fel…
- Is DC's economy stalling? Insights from the DMV Monitor
The Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, known as the DMV — District, Maryland, and Virginia — is home to the U.S. federal government, 6.4 million people, and hundreds of thousands of private sector jobs. To track the cascading impacts o…
- Is this government shutdown different?
As of October 1, 2025, non-essential U.S. government operations ceased due to the failure of Congress to pass legislation that funds government agencies. The latest shutdown follows others that have occurred during both Republican and Demo…
- The United Nations at 80: Does multilateralism still matter?
The 80th UN General Assembly is underway in New York City, in session from just after Labor Day into December. The annual High-Level Week, when world leaders gather, ended in September. To share their takeaways from the 80th General Assemb…
- What's the FCC's role in regulating broadcast content in an era of media consolidation?
On this episode — a look at the shifting landscape of media regulation, consolidation, and the ongoing debate over free speech in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel's suspension from his late-night talk show and subsequent reinstatement. To talk abo…
- Is the credibility of US government data at risk? Why it matters to everyone.
The credibility of U.S. federal government data may seem an arcane topic, but it is critical for a well-functioning economy. To explore the importance of reliable economic data and potential challenges to that reliability, and why it matte…
- What's the president's legal basis for sending National Guard troops to DC streets?
On August 11, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that put the federal government in charge of the local police force. A second executive order directed members of the D.C. National Guard into active federal service. Today, ov…
- How resilient is New Orleans today?
20 years after Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast, researchers from New Orleans, Brookings, and The Data Center are examining how the city has recovered and the challenges it still faces. Manann Donoghoe joins The Current…
- How do we know if US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were successful?
Mara Karlin, a visiting fellow at Brookings and former U.S. assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities, discusses the recent U.S. attack on Iranian nuclear facilities, the Israeli-Iran conflict, and what might com…
- The moral dimension of AI for work and workers
Molly Kinder, fellow in Brookings Metro, reflects on the moral and ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence, work, and workers, as she lays out in her recent paper, "The unexpected visionary: Pope Francis on AI, humanity, and the futu…
- What Medicaid and other safety net cuts could mean for US poverty
House Republicans are currently negotiating a budget reconciliation bill that packages extensive tax breaks with deep spending cuts to anti-poverty programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Robert Greenstein explains how the U.S. safety net has cut…
- Closing the racial gap in economic and social power
Historically, Black Americans' quest for power has been seen as an attempt to gain equal protection under the law, but power in America requires more than basic democratic freedoms. It's linked with economic influence and ownership of one'…
- The US government data purge is a loss for policymaking and research
In its first two months, the Trump administration has not only laid off thousands of federal workers and shuttered agencies, but it has also purged taxpayer-funded data sets from a swathe of government websites, including data on crime, se…
- A playbook to counter democratic backsliding in the US and abroad
Democracy Playbook 2025, published by the Anti-Corruption, Democracy, and Security project at Brookings, identifies seven pillars that are essential to safeguard democracy worldwide and offers actionable steps to strengthen democratic inst…
- Can the Trump administration freeze federal spending?
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…
- What might US rural policy look like in the Trump administration?
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…
- What's next for Syria and the region after Assad's fall?
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…
- Election 2024 and the health of American democracy
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:…
- Government spending, debt, and taxes in the 2024 election
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 Med…
- Making housing more affordable
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 hig…
- As the UN General Assembly gets underway, how are we doing on the Sustainable Development Goals?
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, dir…