The Brookings Current

China's national security law for Hong Kong, enacted suddenly before midnight on June 30, is already chilling the media environment there and putting Hong Kong's customary high degree of autonomy under threat, says Brookings Visiting Fellow Jamie Horsley. However, Horsley cautions the U.S. against too broadly stripping away Hong Kong's special privileges in response lest it accelerate China's eros...

While the results of many of Tuesday's primary races in Kentucky and New York are still being tallied, Brookings Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck weighs in on how states are struggling with an unprecedented increase in absentee ballot requests and what they need to do to prepare for November's general elections. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2BgZpXg Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or Goog...

The Korean War started 70 years ago, on June 25, 1950, but the division of the peninsula at the 38th parallel continues to influence every aspect of both North and South Korea's national goals. Former CIA analyst and Brookings Senior Fellow Jung Pak examines recent events, from the explosion of the joint liaison office in Kaesong to the increasing prominence of Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, a...

A new White House executive order suspending temporary work visas and other avenues of legal immigration does "a big disservice to the American people," Brookings Senior Fellow Dany Bahar says. Bahar explains why the restrictions targeting high-skilled immigration hurt the U.S. economy, and the crucial role immigrants play as engines of economic growth and job creation. Full show notes: https://br...

After weeks of rising tensions along India's northwest border with China, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with Chinese forces, the most significant skirmish between the two countries since 1967. Brookings Senior Fellow Tanvi Madan lays out potential motivations for China's escalation, and how it may affect India's internal priorities and external relationships, including with the United...

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to protect LGBTQ workers against employment discrimination. Brookings Senior Fellow Jonathan Rauch explains the extent and limitations of the court's reasoning, and what will be the next battle for LGBTQ rights. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2YKBMOA Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spotify. Send feedback email to  BCP@Br...

Video footage of the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has sparked protests and led to the arrest of the officer seen kneeling on Floyd's neck. David Rubenstein Fellow Rashawn Ray places Floyd's killing into the long continuum of police violence and explains the systemic changes needed for true accountability in law enforcement. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2TPUenx Subs...

The U.S. unemployment rate is now over 14%, according to the April jobs report, the highest it's been since the Great Depression.  Brookings Senior Fellow Gary Burtless explains what's different this time around, from the unprecedented rapidity of job losses to the economic support for people who have lost their jobs, and why that relief is critical to avoiding the long, drawn-out suffering of the...

As Ramadan begins, Pakistan has loosened social distancing restrictions on gatherings in mosques, allowing communal prayers to go forward during the holy month. David Rubenstein Fellow Madiha Afzal explains how Prime Minister Imran Khan is taking the easy path of avoiding conflict with Pakistan's religious right and burnishing his populist credentials through cash assistance programs, while leavin...

After three inconclusive elections over the last year, Israel at last has a new government, in the form of a coalition deal between political rivals Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. Director of the Center for Middle East Policy Natan Sachs examines the terms of the power-sharing deal, what it means for Israel's domestic priorities as well as plans to annex parts of the West Bank, and what lesso...

In this episode, Rashawn Ray attributes the huge racial gap in coronavirus death rates to the over-representation of Black workers in essential jobs and the structural inequities that have long affected Black neighborhoods, and calls for policies to empower the disenfranchised people and places being hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. Full show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/2VbVSAJ   S...

Following the withdrawal of Sen. Bernie Sanders from the 2020 presidential race, Senior Fellow John Hudak examines how Sanders and other progressives have shifted mainstream Democratic positions, and the repercussions for the Democratic convention in August. He also looks at the leadership failures that forced Wisconsin voters to go to the polls during a pandemic and how states need to prepare for...

This week Hungary's parliament, dominated by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party, granted the prime minister open-ended, broad-reaching emergency powers.  Visiting Fellow James Kirchick explains this as the latest step in Hungary's democratic decline and how the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating the re-nationalization of politics within the European Union. Full show notes and transcript:...

The global economic slowdown due to coronavirus restrictions has caused demand for oil and gas to plummet, while OPEC and Russia's refusal to slow production has vastly over-increased supply, causing an unprecedented plunge in the price of oil. Brookings Fellow Samantha Gross explains what this turmoil means for U.S. oil producers and workers as well as longer-term efforts to fight climate change....

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed massive weaknesses in the support systems for U.S. workers. Martha Ross explains that while provisions in the recently passed $2 trillion CARES Act are a good start, they're not sufficient for the magnitude of unemployment and wage shortages particularly facing low-wage workers.  Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2Joprbu   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on App...

After days of intense negotiations, the Senate's expansive coronavirus relief bill "needs to get both the health response right and the economic response right for the economy to do well," says Jay Shambaugh, director of the Hamilton Project at Brookings.  Shambaugh explains the different assistance programs for individuals and  businesses, how the bill creatively boosts unemployment insurance, an...

Following Germany's stepped-up response to the coronavirus in Europe, Constanze Stelzenmüller details Germany's new social restrictions, the economic impact of European border closures, and how EU coordination is crucial to protect the more vulnerable nations and societies in Europe. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2TWInnR   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcasts, or on Spot...

While the COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis, Senior Fellow Tom Wright argues the European Union has a crucial role to play in coordinating national efforts and mitigating the crisis' significant economic impact. In this episode, Wright explains how different countries within Europe are responding, the repercussions of the U.S. European travel ban, and how populist government responses are exace...

Italy has been the European country hardest hit by the COVID-19 virus. Brookings Visiting Fellow Giovanna De Maio looks at Italy's response to the crisis, the economic challenges that will linger even after the virus is gone, and why strong EU coordination is important for combating both the coronavirus and nationalist protectionism. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2xr1EoG   Subscribe to Brookin...

Brookings expert John Hudak examines the factors that fueled Joe Biden's dramatic comeback in the Super Tuesday primaries, why Bloomberg's unlimited budget couldn't save his candidacy, and which upcoming states will be the true tests of Biden and Bernie Sanders's visions for the Democratic Party. Full show notes:  https://brook.gs/2VJxx6b   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcas...

U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to India was overshadowed by sectarian riots in Delhi, but his meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi helped reinforce areas of security cooperation between the world's two largest democracies. In this episode, Senior Fellow Tanvi Madan talks about where trade negotiations stand between the two countries, how concerns about China shape the U.S.-...

Following U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Ethiopia, Senegal, and Angola, Witney Schneidman lays out the security and governance issues on the agenda in each country, the questions surrounding the Trump administration's plans for trade with the continent, and the need for Pompeo to articulate a more coherent U.S. approach to Africa. Full show notes:  https://brook.gs/37Ggqo9   Subscr...

This week, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte announced the cancellation of the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States. While withdrawal from the military cooperation pact doesn't dissolve the mutual defense treaty between the two countries, Lindsey Ford warns that it reinforces a narrative of declining U.S. influence and leadership in the Indo-Pacific, and is also a signi...

Following the first two contests in the 2020 presidential race, Elaine Kamarck examines how Democratic candidates performed in Iowa and New Hampshire, the future of caucuses in the presidential selection process, and what's important to watch for in the upcoming Nevada and South Carolina contests. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2tTWK2a   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or Google podcas...

The recently released infrastructure framework from House Democrats is a broad statement of purpose, not a specific legislative agenda, says Adie Tomer, a sign that it's intended more as a platform for generating productive debate over the details--especially the always-contentious funding question. Tomer explains the wide range of programs covered in the proposal, why Democrats are putting it for...