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On Wednesday, February 16, Brookings Metro hosted an event to assess the state of Black businesses in metropolitan areas across the country, in collaboration with the Path to 15|55 initiative, which endeavors to grow the percentage of Black-owned employer firms. Senior Fellow Andre Perry presented findings from a forthcoming Brookings report, “Black-owned businesses in U.S. cities: The challenges, solutions, and opportunities for prosperity,” and an expert panel explored policy solutions that can build upon the recent rise of small, Black-owned firms and make structural changes that will enable the economy to work for entrepreneurs of all races. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On February 15, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted a fireside chat with Representative Raskin and Brookings President John R. Allen to talk about his new book and the future of American democracy. Following their conversation, a panel of Brookings scholars discussed the most urgent threats to democracy and identify steps that must be taken to ensure its stability for future generations. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On February 14, 2022, the Brookings Center on Regulation and Markets hosted a fireside chat with Superintendent Harris to explore her vision and agenda as Superintendent of New York DFS, a role that has implications across New York State, America, and the world. Brookings Senior Fellow Aaron Klein asked Superintendent Harris about her priorities; areas of emphasis; and her views on regulation, supervision, and state and federal roles in financial regulation. The conversation spanned the superintendent’s broad jurisdiction and important financial issues she will face, including the role of financial technology, crypto currency, and consumer protection. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq have long had a complex relationship, at times vying for positions of leadership in the Arab World and often closely influenced by each country’s stance toward other powers, notably Iran. After tense relations following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the relationship became closely tied to Iranian influence in Iraqi affairs after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Today, both countries have taken steps to improve bilateral relations, which remains crucial for the regional order and for Iraqi domestic politics. On February 9, the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted an event to discuss this important relationship and its implications for American interests. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On February 8, as part of our celebration of Black History Month, the Brookings Institution hosted a webinar focusing on an inclusive public policy agenda for Black Americans. Brookings scholars assessed the president’s progress on his campaign promises and discussed topics such as access to quality health care, housing, jobs, and education, police and criminal justice reform, reparations for Black Americans, and voting rights. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On February 7, the Brookings Institution hosted an event marking the launch of a new book by Brookings Rubenstein Fellow Tara Watson and journalist Kalee Thompson, “The Border Within: The Economics of Immigration in an Age of Fear.” In the book, Watson and Thompson assess immigration’s effects on every aspect of American life, combining empirical social science research and rigorous analysis with personal stories from immigrants and their families. The event featured a presentation from the authors followed by a panel discussion among experts on immigration policy. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Nearly two decades since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, democratic consolidation is still elusive. From the start, the revival of civil society and NGOs in Iraq was promoted as a means of sustaining democracy through social capital. However, even in areas that enjoyed stability, homogeneity, and prosperity, the political environment has been fraught with public anger and protest. What role has Iraqi civil society played in the path towards democratization and how has it developed? What is the relationship between civil society and democracy in Iraq? Can the U.S. today support democratization through civil society? On February 7, the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings convened a panel to discuss these questions and the related themes explored in the recently published report, "Postwar development of civil society in Iraq’s mid-Euphrates region", written by Marsin Alshamary. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On Wednesday, January 26, Brookings Metro and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) co-hosted an event to examine how regional and federal stakeholders can leverage the opportunity of the IIJA implementation to address needed talent development in the skilled trades and other climate-related occupations. The event aimed to highlight the wide range of careers available and explore how industry leaders need to be involved in ongoing hiring and training efforts. Regional stakeholders, including higher education institutions, workforce development boards, and employers, will all play a critical role in a successful IIJA implementation. Speakers identified major challenges in implementation, opportunities to test new solutions, and other considerations facing these leaders in the months and years to come. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

With the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, the world is eager to return to normal. However, the complexity of the challenges Africa was already facing—including poor infrastructure, high youth unemployment, rapidly increasing debt, and climate change—means that the region’s recovery is likely to be uneven and far behind much of the rest of the world. Moreover, of its 1.3 billion people, less than 8 percent of Africans have been fully vaccinated. Despite these obstacles, the region’s future remains bright: Its innovative youth are creating and utilizing technologies to improve livelihoods throughout the region, and leaders are using the economic recovery to rethink and reset development strategies instead of returning to the status quo. At the same time, Africa’s women and girls have emerged as influential and aspirational leaders not only within the continent, but for the world. Also, Africa is actively looking to leverage its collective power and impressive growth potential to collaborate with emerging external partners. In this way, this year’s Foresight Africa report examines the most pressing issues facing the region in 2022. This year’s panel featured high-level global experts to discuss critical issues for the region’s recovery, including policies for economic recovery, shoring up Africa’s public health systems, empowering African women and girls, addressing the impacts of climate change, harnessing technology for improved livelihoods, and exploring partnerships with emerging global players. After the program, the panel took audience questions. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On January 24, the Brookings Africa Security Initiative hosted an event to discuss the future of the Sudans, and what the United States and its partners can do to support them. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Middle Eastern regimes are aggressive users of social media. They exploit these platforms against their enemies and rivals targeting dissidents, spreading disinformation, and otherwise trying to embarrass and weaken one another. They are aggressive in their efforts to undermine and punish critics at home as well. What are the implications of these tactics? How might U.S. technology companies counter, or at least reduce, these dangers? On January 24, the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted a discussion among experts to address some of these questions and examine the role that social media companies and governments play in shaping the current environment. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

After the build-up of more than 100,000 Russian troops at the Ukrainian border, the public release of two sweeping Russian security proposals, and a series of diplomatic exchanges with the U.S., North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, there are few signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin will de-escalate the ongoing crisis at the border with Ukraine. Why now and what is President Putin’s goal? How do events in the region, particularly in Kazakhstan, impact the unfolding crisis at the border with Ukraine? How can Europe reshape its security architecture to better respond to a new era of disruption, and where does the U.S. fit in? On January 21, the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings hosted two panel discussions with Brookings experts to explore these questions. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On Thursday, January 20, the John L. Thornton China Center at Brookings hosted two panel discussions featuring top China scholars, who discussed the evolution of norms in Chinese elite politics, predictions of the outcomes of the 20th Party Congress, and what the future holds for Xi Jinping. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On January 19, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted a webinar examining Biden’s performance during his first year in office and what can be expected in his State of the Union speech to Congress. Experts discussed Biden’s legislative wins and losses, his approval rating, and his upcoming year in office among other issues. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On January 18, the Japan-America Society of Washington DC and the Center for East Asia Policy Studies at the Brookings Institution hosted the eighth annual Japan in the Year program, “Japan in 2022.” The event invited senior and next-generation Japanese and American experts and officials to look ahead at what 2022 holds in store for Japan’s domestic political and economic affairs, and for Japan’s diplomacy. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On January 14, the Brookings Institution’s Africa Security Initiative and Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors hosted a panel discussion exploring the following questions: What have the effects of COVID-19 been on conservation in Africa and poaching and wildlife trafficking as well as legal wildlife trade? What effective response measures have been adopted or need to be developed going forward? And has the COVID-19 become an impetus for radically intensified protection of biodiversity and led to genuine transformation toward “One Health,” or has it become not only a tragedy, but also a wasted opportunity for biodiversity conservation and human security? Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On January 13, the Center for Middle East Policy hosted Ayman Safadi, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, for a keynote address. In his remarks, Minister Safadi addressed Jordan’s current regional outlook and its foreign policy approach towards the Middle East. Minister Safadi has held office since January 2017. Prior to his appointment, he was a member of the Jordanian Senate. He has also served as an adviser to His Majesty King Abdullah II, minister of state, and the Jordanian government’s official spokesperson. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On January 11, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center hosted an event on this divergence between economic and taxable income and its implications for tax policy. Results from new research using the Survey of Consumer Finances will be presented with an eye towards understanding which forms of income do not show up on tax forms, where in the income distribution that divergence is occurring, and the revenue implications of broadening the business income tax base. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Multilateral relations between the European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) remain stuck, despite recent announcements by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, that the two groups should pursue greater engagement to capitalize on the important role played by the GCC countries on the regional and the international stage. What are the obstacles and the opportunities to revitalize EU-GCC cooperation? Which areas hold the greatest potential? How can bilateral relations between individual countries in the two blocs be leveraged to open up new paths for future multilateral engagement? On January 11, the Center for Middle East Policy (CMEP) addressed these and other questions, further examining how EU-GCC relations can be concretely revamped at the political, economic and security levels, also taking recent changes in regional and international geopolitics into account. The event drew on the recently published volume, “The European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council: Towards a New Path” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021), edited by CMEP Nonresident Fellow Adel Abdel Ghafar and Silvia Colombo from the Istituto Affari Internazionali. Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.