The Brookings Current

President Donald Trump's third State of the Union address "at many points departed from reality and facts, but laid out a clear strategy and vision that he will have moving forward into his re-election." John Hudak lays out how the speech anticipates the president's political and rhetorical tactics and challenges for Democrats in the 2020 campaign. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2RYBQbt   Subsc...

On January 31, the U.K.'s withdrawal from the European Union is official. Over the next eleven months, the British government will negotiate its future relationships with the EU, the U.S., and the rest of the world. Robert Bosch Senior Fellow Amanda Sloat explains the possibilities and challenges for Britain's trade relationships, how Brexit day will affect EU citizens currently living and working...

After President Trump announced his plan for the future of Israel and the Palestinian territories, Tamara Cofman Wittes explains how this one differs from previous U.S. peace proposals, the conditions placed on Palestinian statehood, and whether the plan, if implemented, would actually resolve the long-standing conflict. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2U8n1EA   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts o...

Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposed sweeping constitutional changes have stirred speculation about his plans to maintain power after his term of office expires in 2024. Russia expert Angela Stent, author of "Putin's World," interprets Putin's latest moves, the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and the rest of the current government, and what to watch for during the next few mon...

The U.S. and China recently signed what's being called "phase one" of a trade agreement, rolling back some tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for China promising increased purchases of U.S. goods and services. David Dollar breaks down the details of the new deal, including China's commitments on intellectual property rights and technology transfers, whether the U.S. can increase production to me...

The landslide reelection of Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen was in many ways a referendum on how Taiwan manages its relationship with China. Brookings Senior Fellow Richard Bush explains why Taiwan's electorate preferred President Tsai's cautious approach, how other domestic political and economic factors weighed in her favor, and possible lessons from this election on combating disinformation. Fu...

Following the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad, Brookings expert Suzanne Maloney lays out how Iran may choose to retaliate and the potential repercussions for the U.S., Iraq, and the broader Middle East. She also warns that the cycle of escalation may be moving beyond either the U.S. or Iran's control. Full show notes:  https://brook.gs/2ZPntIY   Subscribe to Brookings p...

Following the House of Representatives' vote to impeach President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Brookings Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds explains the next steps for moving the impeachment process to the Senate, the political calculations that will shape how the Senate trial proceeds, and what role the House still has in any ongoing investigations of the Trump...

The U.N's climate change conference wrapped up this weekend with no significant progress on carbon trading markets or adaptation financing for countries already suffering climate-related damage. Visiting Fellow Bill Burke-White, who was in Madrid, speaks to the disconnect between activists and state party negotiators, the lack of political willingness to make bold new commitments, and what might h...

With the Conservative Party's decisive victory in the December 12 elections, Britain stands poised to ratify PM Boris Johnson's Brexit deal and leave the EU in 2020. Robert Bosch Senior Fellow Amanda Sloat breaks down the election results and what they mean for the UK, including Northern Ireland and Scotland. Full show notes:  https://brook.gs/35jtDmd   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or...

As global leaders gather for the U.N.'s COP25 climate change conference, Nathan Hultman examines what's on the agenda in Madrid, and how cities, states, and communities in the U.S. are filling in for the lack of federal action. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/35WeAPy   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to  BCP@Brookings.edu , and follow us and tw...

Brookings Fellow Natan Sachs examines what criminal charges will mean politically for both Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Likud party, whether political gridlock will lead to a third round of elections next year, and the ramifications of the U.S. announcement regarding the legality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Full show notes: https://brook.gs/37ykdFk   Subscribe to Brookings...

Thousands of local newspapers have closed in recent years, and thousands more have cut back staff and reduced their coverage. In the wake of the merger of the nation's two largest newspaper publishers, Gannett and GateHouse Media, Research Analyst Clara Hendrickson explains the economic forces driving the crisis in local journalism, and why it matters for the democratic and economic health of loca...

Following President Trump and President Erdoğan's meeting at the White House, Amanda Sloat breaks down the points of tension between the U.S., Turkey, and European Union, Congress' role in the U.S.-Turkey relationship, and what, if anything, was achieved during the visit.  Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to  BCP@Brookings.edu , and follow us and...

Just back from Southeast Asia, Senior Fellow Jonathan Stromseth reports on the outcomes from the annual ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit, including the continued delay of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China's economic influence in the region, and how the Trump administration's rhetoric and actions are being perceived in the region. Full show notes:  https://...

On Oct. 31, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that set out the procedures for the next steps in the ongoing impeachment inquiry. Brookings Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds explains why the resolution was important symbolically as well as substantively, how the Trump impeachment inquiry is different from the Clinton impeachment, and what other priorities are still on Congress' agenda. Fu...

Mass street demonstrations are a political tradition in Chile, Richard Feinberg explains, but even as the rise of social media as an organizing tool and decline in the power of political parties makes it harder for the Piñera government to negotiate reforms that will satisfy most of the population, Chile's leaders will have to find a better balance between economic growth and social justice to avo...

As United Auto Workers ratify a new employment contract with General Motors, ending one of the largest auto strikes in decades, Joseph Kane explains what this and other recent strikes indicate about the state of the economy at national and regional levels. Kane also explores the role of unions in supporting workers beyond their traditional collective bargaining power, especially in states with "ri...

Following several days of demonstrations in Lebanon, Hady Amr explains the fundamental issues underlying these protests and who constitutes the protesters' coalition. Amr, a nonresident senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, also details the government's response and how demonstrations may affect the region. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts,...

As Parliament debates the latest version of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, Tom Wright explains what the terms of the new deal mean for Northern Ireland, whether the U.K. is still at risk of a no-deal Brexit outcome, and what Brexit means for the future of U.S.-U.K. relations and the broader trans-Atlantic relationship.  Full show notes:  https://brook.gs/2PkTm95   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts...

As anti-government protests in Baghdad and across southern Iraq escalate, Senior Fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown, who was recently in Iraq, provides necessary context for understanding the situation. Felbab-Brown explains the protesters' demands, the Iraqi government's response, and the likelihood protests will spread to other regions of the country.   Fully show notes:  https://brook.gs/2pTAEKW Subscri...

As the House impeachment inquiry pushes forward, John Hudak examines the political calculations that drove the decision to launch the inquiry and will shape it going forward, how much (or little) we can learn from past impeachments, and how Republican members of Congress are reacting to the current state of affairs surrounding the president. Full show notes:  https://brook.gs/2nZjk6D   Subscribe t...

As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces the formal launch of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, Margaret Taylor explains the significance of the whistleblower complaint regarding White House pressure on Ukraine, and why this scandal has been the one to move the House to action. Full show notes:  https://brook.gs/2mvB1ty   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google p...

With Israel's elections deadlocked between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and the centrist Blue and White party, headed by Benny Gantz, Natan Sachs explains what's at stake for Netanyahu personally, and the ramifications for Israeli politics, democracy, and U.S. relations. Full show notes:  https://brook.gs/2LYpkV9   Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts,...

Following British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's move to suspend Parliament, Amanda Sloat explains the extraordinary nature of this usually standard procedure, whether the opposition in Parliament might trigger new elections with a no-confidence vote, and whether this is all a political gambit to strengthen the Conservative Party's hand in the run-up to the October 31 Brexit deadline. Full show no...