Baker Briefing

New mothers in Texas face a host of healthcare challenges after birth, and some of them may require more support than a regular check-up. Non-medical drivers of health, such as transportation and nutrition, significantly influence health outcomes but may not be directly addressed by the healthcare system. With nearly half of Texas births covered by Medicaid, legislators and healthcare agencies are...

Earlier this week, María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan Nobel Prize laureate and leader of the country’s political opposition, unexpectedly returned to the country after leaving late last year.  Her reappearance could clear  a path to new elections in Venezuela. In early 2026, the country’s former leader, Nicolás Maduro, was deposed by the United States, leaving his deputy and current President De...

The U.S. national debt has surpassed $40 trillion, following decades of growth and increases associated with the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising interest payments.  Some elected officials are now turning their attention to the debt. In this special episode of “Baker Briefing,” guest host John W. Diamond, director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy, spoke with Rep. Jodey A...

The clock is ticking toward the U.S. midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power in Washington D.C., for the next two years. Although he is not on the ballot, President Donald Trump may be a central consideration for voters when they head to the polls. Ambassador David M. Satterfield sits down with Mark P. Jones , fellow in political science, to discuss the competition for control...

Israelis will go to the polls on Oct. 27 at a consequential moment for the country and the region. Gaza, settler violence in the West Bank, and the war in Iran and Lebanon have placed new strains on relations between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel.  They have also raised difficult questions for Israeli Arabs about political participation, representation, identity, and the prospects for a share...

In the past decade, wealthier developed countries, particularly those in the EU, have tried a novel tactic to stem the flow of unauthorized migrants from the Global South: paying governments to prevent such individuals from leaving their own country. Countries tend to promote these migration management deals — worth billions of U.S. dollars — as a way to address the root causes of irregular migrat...

President Donald Trump will be meeting in Washington, D.C. with President Xi Jinping for their second in-person meeting this year. The summit comes against the backdrop of increasing attention on artificial intelligence, U.S. arm sales to Taiwan, and an ongoing trade dispute that dates back to Trump’s first term. Beyond policy, the meeting will likely highlight Trump’s primary approach to statecra...

A growing national debt. Interest payments that constrain the outlook on the U.S. government’s other fiscal priorities. Significant investments in artificial intelligence that could reshape the American economy. These are some of the challenges, in addition to rising costs, that face legislators and the public when it comes to the country’s finances. In this episode of “Baker Briefing”, recorded i...

A recently announced deal between the U.S. and Venezuela to produce 65 billion barrels of oil – roughly a fifth of Venezuela’s total proven oil reserves – has raised questions about its terms. A single Latin American company, NABEP, run by Venezuelan executive Alejandro Betancourt, has been tapped to produce the oil, with part of the company being potentially owned by the U.S. Department of Defens...

The funeral procession of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, wound through major holy cities across the region last week. The mourners, traditionally clad in black, carried red banners conveying a clear message: The regime is seeking vengeance. The apparent collapse of a fledgling ceasefire and renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran chart a...

The U.S. Supreme Court is issuing decisions that could shape American law for years to come. In this conversation, Ambassador David M. Satterfield speaks with David W. Leebron , president emeritus of Rice University and former dean of Columbia Law School, about what the current term’s rulings reveal about the direction of the institution, how the Roberts Court has evolved over the past two decades...

On July 1, negotiators will begin the formal review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade pact affecting billions of dollars in commerce and tens of millions of workers across North America. What priorities will each country bring to the table, and how likely is a consensus to extend the agreement for another 16 years? Ahead of the 2026 USMCA review, center experts David A....

For more than a decade, Syria was defined by war, displacement, and devastation. The fall of Bashar al-Assad marked a historic turning point but also raised a difficult question: What comes next for a country rebuilding after years of conflict? Baker Institute Fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen speaks with Mona Yacoubian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies about Syria’s fragile tra...

As the 2026 World Cup begins, the world’s biggest sporting event is also becoming a stage for broader debates about politics, access, and global influence. Questions surrounding visa restrictions, rising travel costs, international tensions, and the role of sport in shaping national image have shifted attention to issues that extend beyond the game itself. Host David M. Satterfield is joined by Ba...

How is the Trump administration reshaping American healthcare? Ambassador David M. Satterfield sits down with Heidi Russell , director of the Baker Institute Center for Health Policy, to discuss a new report examining major health policy changes during the administration’s first year — from Medicaid cuts and federal agency restructuring to vaccine policy and public health priorities. What do these...

Americans know healthcare is expensive, but what’s less understood is why the cost of coverage can vary so dramatically, even for people doing similar jobs in the same state. Host David M. Satterfield talks with Baker Institute fellows Vivian Ho and Marah Short about a new report examining health insurance premiums across Texas universities. The findings reveal striking differences in what institu...

Across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), escalating conflicts have forced millions of people from their homes — often not just temporarily, but for years or even generations. As wars drag on and humanitarian resources shrink, what happens when there are few clear paths home and millions are left navigating the lasting human costs of displacement? Ambassador David M. Satterfield speaks with...

As conflict with Iran intensifies, economic consequences are beginning to extend beyond the battlefield, from rising energy prices to growing concerns about inflation and household costs. Ambassador David M. Satterfield and John W. Diamond , director of the Baker Institute Center for Tax and Budget Policy , discuss what a prolonged conflict could mean for the U.S. economy — and why everyday Americ...

As conflict and instability in the Middle East continue to shape global energy markets, Americans are beginning to feel the effects far beyond the gas pump. Host David M. Satterfield speaks with energy experts Kenneth B. Medlock III and Mark Finley about why oil prices react so sharply to geopolitical shocks. They discuss how those shifts ripple through airline fares, travel costs, inflation, and...

This week, President Donald Trump travels to Beijing for a high-stakes state visit amid rising tensions between the United States and China, persistent economic uncertainty, and ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Host David M. Satterfield speaks with Steven W. Lewis about what Washington and Beijing are each hoping to signal through the meeting, and how the trajectory of the U.S.-China relations...

Guyana sits at the center of one of the fastest energy expansions in the world — at a moment when geopolitical tensions, supply disruptions, and market volatility are reshaping global energy systems in real time. But rapid growth brings difficult questions: What are the risks, tradeoffs, and strategies behind turning a historic resource boom into lasting national development? During a visit to Ric...

Guyana, on the northern coast of South America, has become one of the fastest-growing energy producers in the world. Since oil production began in 2019, the country has quickly emerged as a major force in global energy markets, at a time when geopolitical tensions and market volatility are reshaping the global energy landscape. During a visit to Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy...

In the middle of war, healthcare systems tend to break down due to high-level risks and resource constraints, and doctors on the frontlines face challenges that policy alone cannot fully capture. In this episode, fellow Sonali Korde spoke with clinicians Rachel Wilkins Davis, M.D. , Heather Haq, M.D. , and Catherine Anne Morrison, M.D., M.P.H about their experiences working in conflict settings. E...

What happens when the rules designed to limit the human cost of war and protect humanitarian workers on the front lines begin to erode in conflicts across the globe? Why does this issue matter beyond the battlefield? In this episode, experts explore how the rules of war shape the safety of hospitals, aid workers, and civilians, and why their breakdown has global consequences. This discussion inclu...

It’s Tax Day, and this episode steps back from the headlines to look at the forces shaping the U.S. fiscal and economic outlook. From the latest federal budget proposals and rising defense costs to updated projections from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Treasury Department on deficits and debt, the fiscal picture is facing growing pressure. Ambassador David M. Satterfield and John W...