Baker Briefing

On March 16, 2026, a federal judge blocked changes to U.S. vaccine policy advanced under Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., ruling that officials acted unlawfully in restructuring the nation’s vaccine advisory system. In this episode, Baker Institute Director David M. Satterfield and Center for Health Policy Director Heidi Russell examine how vaccine recommendations a...

This episode is part of the Texas Briefing podcast “Between Pulpit and Policy” series, which examines the role of religion in Texas politics. Produced in partnership with the Baker Institute Student Forum, the series explores how faith intersects with public life and policymaking. How do students experience faith on campus, and how does religion shape their views on public policy? In a student pan...

The conflict in Iran is sending shock waves through global energy markets, tightening supplies, driving up prices, and placing energy security at the center of strategic and economic considerations. On this episode of “Baker Briefing,” Ambassador David M. Satterfield , director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and Kenneth B. Medlock III , director of the Baker Institute Cent...

The war in Iran has entered a more dangerous and unpredictable phase, with strikes intensifying, diplomacy stalled, and global stakes higher than ever. On this episode of “Baker Briefing,” Ambassador David M. Satterfield , director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and fellow Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar discuss the latest developments in the conflict. What strategic calculatio...

As cities around the world confront slower population growth, aging populations, and shifting migration patterns, policymakers are rethinking long-standing assumptions about economic development, infrastructure, and public investment. Ambassador David M. Satterfield speaks with Baker Institute fellow Bill King about the global reality of depopulation and what it could mean for the future of urban...

Twenty years after taking the oath as Chief Justice of the United States, John G. Roberts Jr. visited Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy for a rare public conversation on the role of the courts in a rapidly changing world. In this special episode of “Baker Briefing,” Chief Justice Roberts reflects on two decades leading the Supreme Court, responds to critiques of the judiciary, an...

War between Iran, the United States, and Israel is entering a volatile new phase — raising urgent questions about escalation, leadership in Tehran, and the future stability of the Middle East. Ambassador David M. Satterfield and Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar discuss how Iran’s leadership is interpreting the conflict and the domestic and regional pressures shaping its response. They explore the sustai...

The Feb. 22, 2026, death of cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, head of Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), has reignited debate about security, governance, and the strength of Mexico’s institutions. In the days following the operation, cartel-linked violence spread across multiple states — underscoring both the reach of criminal networks and the risks of confronting them. Tony Payan , dire...

The United States has launched strikes on Iran — and global energy markets are already reacting. How far could this escalation reach, from the Strait of Hormuz to gasoline prices and electricity bills here at home? Ambassador David M. Satterfield , director of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is joined by Kenneth B. Medlock III , director of the Center for Energy Studies , to u...

What happens to the economy when the U.S. Supreme Court overturns a major Trump administration tariff strategy? On Feb. 20, 2026, the Court struck down sweeping tariffs imposed under emergency authority, forcing a rapid policy shift and raising new questions about trade, markets, and the federal budget. In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” Ambassador David M. Satterfield is joined by John W. Diamo...

For decades, global trade operated under a relatively stable set of rules, but that framework is now under pressure. During the second Trump administration, tariffs have expanded, alliances have shifted, and institutions such as the World Trade Organization have faced new challenges. What does this evolving U.S. trade policy mean for prices, jobs, global partnerships, and the future of the interna...

What are critical minerals, how are they used, and why do they matter for national security? In an era of globalized supply chains, how vulnerable is the United States to disruptions? Michelle Michot Foss, former fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, joins Ambassador David M. Satterfield to examine how rare earth elements underpin civilian products, advanced technologies, and military e...

The Trump administration has touted its tariff strategy as a historic economic success, citing record stock market highs, falling trade deficits, and “virtually no inflation.” But what do the numbers actually show? In this episode of “Baker Briefing”, Ambassador David Satterfield sits down with John W. Diamond , director of the Baker Institute’s Center for Tax and Budget Policy, to examine the dat...

Why has the role of religion in Texas public education become one of the most consequential policy battles in the state? What is at stake for religious liberty, church-state separation, and the future of education across the nation? On the latest episode of the “Texas Briefing” podcast, another Baker Institute podcast, Baker Institute fellow and guest host Michael O. Emerson is joined by David R....

This summer, North America is preparing to host the largest FIFA World Cup in history. Seventy-eight matches will be played across 11 American cities, but domestic politics have turned up the heat off the pitch. Questions around immigration policy, security, and global perception have intensified scrutiny of how the tournament may factor into broader U.S. efforts to redefine its international pres...

What do Iran’s converging challenges — environmental stress, economic strain, security concerns, and an unresolved nuclear file — signal for the country’s leadership, society, and role in the region? Mohammad Tabaar joined the podcast to discuss the internal and external pressures shaping Iran today, the choices Tehran may face in the months ahead, and what those decisions could mean for regional...

What does the removal of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. military force signal for the future of Venezuela’s oil industry? Francisco Monaldi and Kenneth B. Medlock III joined the podcast to discuss President Donald Trump’s recently released plan for taking over and selling the country’s crude oil, the risks and incentives for U.S. and international oil companies, and the implications for oil flows across L...

In this bonus episode, we’re sharing a conversation with Ben Ginsberg, a high-profile elections lawyer and key figure in the 2000 Bush v. Gore litigation, from the elections conference we held last month in partnership with The Carter Center. Ginsberg joined David Satterfield to discuss that landmark dispute 25 years later. Their conversation also explored contemporary electoral issues in the U.S....

A year into the second Trump administration, what does the latest data tell us about the U.S. economy, which the president touted in a primetime address last month? And what can the numbers tell us, given changes in how economic data is collected following the government shutdown? John W. Diamond , director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy and host of “The Two-Handed Economist,” joined the...

Iran is facing a cascade of domestic challenges, including a deepening currency crisis and drought so severe that President Masoud Pezeshkian has suggested residents of the capital city Tehran may need to evacuate. Meanwhile, strain is building over nuclear talks in the aftermath of the 12-day conflict with Israel and the U.S. in June 2025. Middle East fellow Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar joined the...

Without a last-minute extension of enhanced tax credits, Americans who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will see their premiums spike in January. How did we get here, and why are health care access and affordability such persistent policy challenges? Dr. Heidi Russell and Elena M. Marks joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss what happens when the ACA subsidy enhanc...

On Oct. 30, journalist Julia Ioffe visited the Baker Institute to discuss her new book: “ Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy .” This episode is a condensed version of her conversation with Alan Crain, chairman of the Houston Committee on Foreign Relations, on how women’s roles in Russia — from the Bolshevik revolution to the present — have both mirrored a...

A water crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border is growing. The 1944 Water Treaty has long guided how both nations share the Rio Grande and Colorado rivers, but climate change, drought, and growing demand are testing its limits. Guest host Tony Payan speaks with Rosario Sanchez , a senior research scientist at the Texas Water Resources Institute, and Ivonne Cruz , a research scholar at the Baker Insti...

For the first time in decades, the U.S. immigrant population is declining — and with it, the country's long-held assumption of steady population growth. Bill King joins the podcast to discuss how demographic trends and President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration policies are shaping the nation’s future labor force, economy, and identity, as well the importance of rational immigration policy for...

The global humanitarian aid system is facing an existential crisis. Despite more than 300 million people in need of urgent aid in 2025 — nearly four times the number from just a decade ago — countries around the world have slashed aid budgets. The U.S. alone has cut nearly $8 billion in aid funding under President Donald Trump, in addition to his administration’s far-reaching dismantling of the U....