The Brookings Cafeteria

Climate change threatens all people, creatures, places, and systems on the planet, but not all impacts are distributed equally. Climate justice considers that climate change has unequal social, economic, health, and other effects on underprivileged populations. As well, in the U.S., the coronavirus' uneven impact on Black and Hispanic Americans and the recent reckoning with racial justice issues expose how the climate crisis disproportionately impacts these U.S. populations. Christina Kwauk, a fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings, interviews two people to unpack the issues on climate justice in the U.S. and around the world. Justin Worland is a D.C.-based correspondent for Time magazine covering issues on energy and the environment. Marinel Ubaldo is a climate activist from the Philippines and a founder of Youth Leaders for Environmental Action Federation. She also organized the Philippines' first youth climate strike in 2019. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedba

This is the fifth, and final, episode of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast—Our Nation of Immigrants—in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. America’s immigration system is badly in need of reform and so in this episode, Hudak explores the real opportunity for bipartisan solutions to the immigration challenges. Guests include: Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Sarah Gardiner, policy director, Freedom for Immigrants. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

This is the fourth episode of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast—Our Nation of Immigrants—in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. In this episode, Hudak takes a deeper dive into the immigrant experience and the idea of belonging: what it means to uproot your life from one country and to try to build a home in the United States. Guests include Carlos Guevara and Clarissa Martinez de Castro of UNIDOS US; Martine Kalaw, an author, speaker, and immigrant; and university students Santiago and Saha. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

This is the third episode of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast—Our Nation of Immigrants—in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. In this episode, Hudak and guests discuss the economics of immigration, including the important role immigrants play in both developing and sustaining the American economy. Guests include: Hugh Anderson, government affairs chair, Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce; Dany Bahar, senior fellow, the Brookings Institution; and Governor Gary Herbert (R-Utah). Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

This is episode 2 of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. In episode 2, Hudak explores the connections—social and economic—that span communities along the US-Mexico border, and gets a better understanding of issues from and rhetoric about border towns, such as crime and jobs. Guests include: - Michael Chertoff, former secretary, Department of Homeland Security  - Mayor Donald “Dee” Margo, El Paso, Texas - Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego, California  Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network

This is the first episode of a special five-part series on the Brookings Cafeteria podcast in which John Hudak, a senior fellow in Governance Studies, explores the facts and tackles the myths that underpin the current immigration policy debate. In episode one, Hudak explores who are the immigrants that we hear so much about— Where are they coming from, why are they coming to the United States, and where are they going once they arrive? Guests include Brookings Senior Fellow William Frey, and a university student whose parents were, until recently, undocumented. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast, Lindsey Ford, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, interviews two experts and authors of some of the latest papers in the Global China series: Samantha Gross is director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings, and a fellow in Foreign Policy. Jeffrey Ball is a scholar-in-residence at Stanford University and a nonresident senior fellow in Foreign Policy. Also on this episode, Annelies Goger, a Rubenstein Fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, explains how the wreckage of the COVID-19 pandemic exposes the opportunity gap in the labor market. But employers, she says, are too focused on the skills gap narrative. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

New research from the Center for Universal Education (CUE) at Brookings finds that technology’s impact on learning and teaching has been limited, especially in low- and middle-income countries, largely because tech has been used to replace analog tools. On this episode, two of the authors of a new report, titled, “Realizing the Promise: How can education technology improve learning for all?,” discuss their findings. Alejandro Ganimian is an assistant professor of applied technology and economics at New York University, and a CUE nonresident fellow. Emiliana Vegas is co-director of the center and a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings. Also on this episode, Governance Studies Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds on what’s happening in Congress, including whether another government shutdown due to funding disagreements is possible, and a look at a new COVID-19 relief package proposed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, why it failed, and the politics behind it. Subscribe to Br

Brookings scholars Isabel Sawhill and Richard Reeves discuss their new book--publishing this fall--that lays out their case for a new contract with the middle class in America. In this short book of policy solutions to improve the well-being of middle class Americans, they focus on five key areas that build a foundation for a good quality of life. Also, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, explains the Federal Reserve’s recent statement in which it revised its long-term goals, including a revision to its approach to inflation. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Why did so many traditionally "blue" communities vote for Donald Trump in 2016, and why might they do so again in 2020? In this episode, Bill Finan, director of the Brookings Institution Press, interviews two authors of a new Brookings book that explores these and related questions. Stephanie Muravchik, a historian and an associate fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, and Jon Shields, an associate professor of government at Claremont McKenna College, are the authors of Trump's Democrats. Also in this episode, a look at hospitality industry workers during the coronavirus pandemic: how they are impacted and what can be done, with Tracy Hadden Loh, a fellow with the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center for Transformative Placemaking at the Brookings Institution. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network

We asked women at the Brookings Institution to share their thoughts on the 19th Amendment. One hundred years after American women gained the right to vote (on paper), what is the current state of gender equality in America? Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.  

Brookings Senior Fellow Elaine Kamarck discusses the historical and contemporary role of the vice president, and offers thoughts on Joe Biden's selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate in the 2020 election.  Also, Senior Fellow Sarah Binder on what's happening (or not happening) in Congress. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.  

Patrick Hannahan and Jenny Perlman Robinson from the Center for Universal Education at Brookings discuss how real-time scaling labs inform efforts to bring impact in education to children around the world. Hannahan is project director of the Millions Learning Project; Perlman Robinson is a senior fellow in CUE and Global Economy and Development at Brookings. In the episode, Hannahan also speaks with six education leaders in Real-time Scaling Labs around the world.  Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

This episode is a re-broadcast of a recent episode of the Lawfare Podcast in which Brookings Senior Fellow Benjamin Wittes interviewed Brookings President John R. Allen and Brookings Vice President Darrell West about their new book, “Turning Point: Policymaking in the era of Artificial Intelligence.” In their book, just published by the Brookings Institution Press, Allen and West discuss both the opportunities and risks posed by artificial intelligence—and how near-term policy decisions could determine whether the technology leads to utopia or dystopia. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

In this special edition of the Brookings Cafeteria Podcast, Lindsey Ford, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Foreign Policy, interviews two experts and authors of some of the latest papers in the Global China series. Bruce Riedel is a senior fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the Intelligence Project. Natan Sachs is a fellow in Foreign Policy and director of the Center for Middle East Policy. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On this episode, Ron Haskins and Melissa Kearney, co-editors of the Future of Children Journal, discuss the journal’s new edition that focuses how cultural factors—including religion, parenting styles, role models, mentors and the media—shape economic outcomes. Haskins is a senior fellow emeritus in Economic Studies at Brookings and Kearney is the Neil Moskowitz Professor of Economics at the University of Maryland, as well as a Brookings nonresident senior fellow. Also on this episode, David Wessel, senior fellow and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, has another economic update in which he shares his concerns about the nation’s economic outlook. You can follow the Brookings Podcast Network on twitter @policypodcasts to get information about and links to all our shows including Dollar and Sense: The Brookings Trade Podcast, The Current, and our events podcast. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

We know that humanity’s use of fossil fuels is damaging the planet’s climate, yet coal, oil, and natural gas generate most of the electricity we use to power our lives. We know how to use alternative sources of energy that generate less carbon—such as water, wind, and nuclear—yet replacing fossil fuels with other sources has proven difficult. Why? That's the central question asked by the guest on this episode in her new Foreign Policy essay, "Why are fossil fuels so hard to quit?" Samantha Gross is a fellow in Foreign Policy at Brookings and director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative. Her essay is a rich exploration of the history, science, and politics of fossil fuels and offers a way toward cleaner energy. Also on this episode, Alan Berube, senior fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program, introduces the new Metro Recovery Index that tracks the impact of COVID-19 on and progress on recovery for the economies of the 200 largest metro areas in the United States. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on

To provide policy options and recommendations for addressing multiple dimensions of this epidemic, the Brookings Institution has brought together some of the United States’ leading experts on drug policy in a project called The Opioid Crisis in America. For over a year, Brookings and external experts undertook a multidisciplinary collaboration to develop new insights and best practices for policy stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as for members of the public who are on the front lines of the opioid crisis. On this special episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast, you will hear from six of these experts, who will discuss findings and recommendations from their fields of specialty. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

In this world of endless technology that permeates all our lives, how can individuals, institutions, and governments harness its positive contributions while protecting each of us, no matter who or where we are? That’s a central question addressed by the guest expert on this episode in his new book from the Brookings Institution Press, titled, "Terms of Disservice: How Silicon Valley is Destructive by Design." Author Dipayan Ghosh is Pozen Fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. A computer scientist by training, he has served as a technology and economic policy adviser in the Obama White House and as a Privacy and Public Policy Adviser at Facebook. He’s interviewed here by Robert Wicks of the Brookings Institution Press. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Ten years remain for the world to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including inclusive and equitable quality education for all. But the global learning crisis, made worse by the coronavirus pandemic, demands solutions at-scale for governments around the world. How to achieve the financing required to deliver quality education? One solution links payment to achievement of outcomes through social and development impact bonds. On this episode, two experts discuss the global crisis in education, and also the opportunities and challenges of impact bonds for education. Emily Gustafsson-Wright is a fellow with the Center for Universal Education at Brookings. Jaime Saavedra leads the Education Global Practice at the World Bank Group and is a former minister of education in Peru. Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on iTunes, send feedback email to BCP@Brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. The Brookings Cafeteria is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.