USMCA fails to renew—but it’s not over yet
The Brookings Current
On July 1, the U.S. government declined to renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)—but that’s not the end for the region’s free trade agreement. Kari Heerman spoke with Christopher Sands and Duncan Wood about what went wrong, what went right, and what comes next for North American economic relations. . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
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A fractured front? Inside the Ankara NATO summit
The Brookings Current
At the NATO summit in Ankara, wary European leaders sought an equilibrium with the United States. Against a backdrop of ongoing conflict in Iran and Ukraine, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş asked Thomas Wright and Mara Karlin about the dynamics at play. . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
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Will the Strait of Hormuz reopen after the US-Iran deal?
The Brookings Current
After the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to end the war, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş spoke to Brookings experts Kari Heerman and Bruce Jones about its geopolitical implications, building on their recent articles in the series "Blowback: How the Iran war may change the world." . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
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Understanding Pope Leo’s AI encyclical
The Brookings Current
Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical is a 42,000-word Vatican treatise that elevates "the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence." Nicol Turner Lee, senior fellow and director for the Center for Technology Innovation, and Elham Tabassi, senior fellow and director for the AI and Emerging Tech Initiative, spoke to Valerie Wirtschafter, fellow in Foreign Policy, about the implications of this groundbreaking document. . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
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2 members of Congress on improving American education
The Brookings Current
On this episode of The Brookings Current, Brookings Senior Fellow Rashawn Ray sits down with two former teachers-turned-lawmakers: Reps. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.), members of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. They engage in a candid dialogue on the state of K-12 education amid changing student demographics, the introduction of AI in the classroom, and the challenge of workforce preparation. . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
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Has the US lost the Iran war?
The Brookings Current
Brookings Senior Fellow Robert Kagan writes in The Atlantic that U.S. defeat in Iran war “is not only possible but likely.” In this episode of The Brookings Current, Kagan is joined by Melanie Sisson and Michael O’Hanlon, also senior fellows in Foreign Policy, to discuss their latest thinking on the war, and whether it has weakened America’s hand in the region. . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
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The Iran war is making energy more expensive for everyone
The Brookings Current
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has brought the largest energy disruption the world has seen in decades. Adie Tomer, senior fellow in Metro, talks with Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative, to break down the implications of this crisis for American consumers and the United States. . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
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How executive orders are reshaping Black America
The Brookings Current
The Trump administration has used executive orders to expand immigration enforcement, overhaul elections, and gut diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Keon Gilbert, director of the Race, Prosperity, and Inclusion Initiative, discusses the disproportionate impact on Black Americans with Jonathan Cox of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and Tonantzin Carmona, a fellow at Brookings Metro. . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
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Will the Iran ceasefire hold?
The Brookings Current
With an indefinite ceasefire in place and continued attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, the war in Iran has reached a turning point. Given the chasm between the strategic interests of the United States and Iran, where does the conflict go from here? In this episode of The Current, Brookings Fellow Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is joined by Vice President of Foreign Policy Suzanne Maloney and Visiting Fellow Mara Karlin to discuss the impact of the war, the status of negotiations between the US and Iran, and potential off-ramps for President Trump to seek an end to the conflict. . Follow The Current and...
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What does the future hold for the IRS and Postal Service?
The Brookings Current
The IRS and the Postal Service are close to their breaking points. On this episode of The Current, Katie Dunn Tenpas speaks with Senior Fellows Elena Patel and Vanessa Williamson about how cuts have impacted the agencies’ mission,, if they can be saved, and what all this means for taxpayers. . Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to .
info_outlineThe 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 emergency, and prospects for peace, Visiting Fellow Jeffrey Feltman joins Michael O’Hanlon, director of research for Foreign Policy, on The Current.
Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Send feedback email to podcasts@brookings.edu.