What might US rural policy look like in the Trump administration?
The Current
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: Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to .
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What's next for Syria and the region after Assad's fall?
The Current
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...
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Election 2024 and the health of American democracy
The Current
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: Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to .
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Government spending, debt, and taxes in the 2024 election
The Current
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: Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to .
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Making housing more affordable
The Current
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...
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As the UN General Assembly gets underway, how are we doing on the Sustainable Development Goals?
The Current
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: Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to .
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Competing energy and climate visions in the 2024 presidential election
The Current
As part of the 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: Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to .
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As Joe Biden exits the presidential race, what's next for Kamala Harris?
The Current
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...
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The state of NATO at 75 and beyond
The Current
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: Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to .
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After the first presidential debate, what's next for Biden and Trump?
The Current
Last week, President Joe Biden and former President Trump met in Atlanta for a presidential debate. After the event, most observers focused heavily on Biden’s seemingly poor performance, while paying Trump’s many untruths and exaggerations far less attention. And now some Biden supporters are hoping he’ll quit the race and allow another candidate to replace him. To talk about those issues and to answer the big question, do presidential debates matter?, Governance Studies Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck, founding director of the Center for Effective Public Management, joins The Current....
info_outlineAs 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 [email protected].