The Current

Oct 31 2024 100 ep. 18 mins 6.7k
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The Current brings you smart, timely, and quick analysis from Brookings experts on breaking news and changing policies. In under ten minutes, learn not only what happened, but why, and how to make sense of it.

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Election 2024 and the health of American democracy

Oct 31 2024 16 mins  
As the U.S. heads into the final days of the 2024 elections, Kathryn Dunn Tenpas reviews the health of American democracy, the lack of guardrails against mis- and disinformation, and ways to restore public trust. Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/articles/election-2024-and-the-health-of-american-democracy Follow The Current and all Brookings podcasts on Apple or

Government spending, debt, and taxes in the 2024 election

Oct 16 2024 29 mins  
The economy is one of the quadrennial top issues for American voters, and related to economic performance are concerns about the national debt, taxes, and government spending, especially on popular entitlements like Social Security and Medicare. On this episode, Ben Harris, vice president and director of Economic Studies at Brookings, talks with host Fred Dews about how these issue

Making housing more affordable

Sep 27 2024 55 mins  
The high cost of housing is a significant economic pressure for many Americans, even as inflation has eased. Homeowners and renters alike pay increasingly higher percentages of their income on housing, and homelessness reached a record high in 2023. Recorded in front of a live audience, this episode of The Current features Brookings Senior Fellow Jenny Schuetz and San Francisco Ch

As the UN General Assembly gets underway, how are we doing on the Sustainable Development Goals?

Sep 13 2024 20 mins  
The 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations opened this week in New York City. To address some of the main issues on the agenda, with a focus on sustainable development and the Summit of the Future, is John McArthur, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Brookings and a senior fellow in Global Economy and Development. Show notes and transcript: ht

Competing energy and climate visions in the 2024 presidential election

Aug 19 2024 16 mins  
As part of the Brookings Election '24 initiative, Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at Brookings, talks about the energy and climate policy issues in the U.S. presidential election as voters think about how either a Harris administration or a second Trump administration would approach these matters. Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookin

As Joe Biden exits the presidential race, what's next for Kamala Harris?

Jul 23 2024 23 mins  
On Sunday, July 21st, President Joe Biden announced that he would no longer seek the Democratic Party's nomination for president in the election against Donald Trump this November. He then endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the nomination. To talk about this momentous development in the 2024 presidential election, E.J. Dionne joins The Current. He is the W. Averell Harriman

The state of NATO at 75 and beyond

Jul 12 2024 17 mins  
As NATO turns 75, alliance leaders gathered in Washington, presenting a united front in support of Ukraine's survival against the threat of Russia. Brookings Visiting Fellow James Goldgeier reviews the NATO summit's outcomes, how the organization is trying to prepare for the uncertainty of American leadership after November, and the broader challenges—and partners—in NATO's fut

After the first presidential debate, what's next for Biden and Trump?

Jul 01 2024 16 mins  
Last week, President Joe Biden and former President Trump met in Atlanta for a presidential debate. After the event, most observers focused heavily on Biden’s seemingly poor performance, while paying Trump’s many untruths and exaggerations far less attention. And now some Biden supporters are hoping he’ll quit the race and allow another candidate to replace him. To talk about

What role is AI playing in election disinformation?

Jun 26 2024 19 mins  
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have the potential to amplify the spread of mis- and disinformation in elections around the world. In this historic election year, Valerie Wirtschafter breaks down where generative AI has already played a role in disinformation campaigns and how policymakers, tech companies, and voters can build up guardrails to protect the integrity of elec

What can be done about Sudan's deepening humanitarian catastrophe?

Jun 20 2024 17 mins  
The Horn of Africa, home to over 200 million people, is experiencing high levels of fragility from both violence and climate change. The World Food Program says that the current conflict in Sudan is “risking the world's largest hunger crisis across the region." Jeffrey Feltman, visiting fellow in International Diplomacy in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Tec