The Current
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.
- Update frequency
- every 14 days
- Average duration
- 19 minutes
- Episodes
- 101
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
What’s happening in Afghanistan one year after the U.S. withdrawal?
One year after the U.S. troop withdrawal, Afghanistan faces a collapsed economy, humanitarian crisis, and a Taliban regime essentially unchanged from that of 1996-2001. Madiha Afzal discusses the Tal…
What will student loan forgiveness mean for Black students and families?
After President Biden's release of his plan for student debt relief, Andre Perry explains the impact loan forgiveness will have on student debt holders, the role of student debt in racial wealth and …
Why is Sri Lanka in crisis, and what comes next?
Sri Lanka's new president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, took office last week as the country faces economic collapse, political instability, and ongoing food and fuel shortages. Constantino Xavier looks at …
What does Shinzo Abe's assassination mean for Japan?
Following the stunning assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Mireya Solís describes Abe's policy legacies, the role he continued to play in shaping the direction of the country,…
What does the Supreme Court’s EPA ruling mean for climate regulation?
The Supreme Court's decision in West Virginia v. EPA narrowed the breadth of powers the Environmental Protection Agency has to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. Barry Rabe explains t…
Why is Kaliningrad at the center of a new Russia-NATO faceoff?
Russia has threatened consequences for Lithuania after the NATO member state blocked transit of EU-sanctioned goods through its territory to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Ahead of the NATO summ…
What can we expect from the January 6 committee hearings?
As the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its first public hearings in nearly a year, Norm Eisen lays out what Americans can expect from the procee…
How will France’s changing political dynamics shape Macron’s next term?
While Emmanuel Macron won re-election as France's president, far-right challenge Marine Le Pen's nationalist populism gained a larger share of the vote than ever before. Célia Belin and Agneska Bloch…
Where does France's presidential election stand after round one?
The first round of France’s presidential election narrowed the field to current President Emmanuel Macron and far-right challenger Marine Le Pen. Before the two face off in a second round of voting o…
What's new in the January 6 investigation?
Quinta Jurecic explains the significance of new developments this week around the congressional investigation into the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Show notes and full transcript: htt…
Why is Pakistani PM Imran Khan facing a no-confidence vote?
Pakistan's prime minister, Imran Khan, faces a unified opposition coalition and a vote of no confidence in parliament next week. Whether Khan's government survives the challenge or not, Pakistan's de…
How is Russia conducting cyber and information warfare in Ukraine?
While the Russian assault on Ukraine advances through ground and air forces, there haven't yet been significant cyberattacks on Ukraine's infrastructure, intelligence, or communications systems. Jess…
Did Biden's State of the Union speech meet the moment?
President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address aimed to both deliver a strong message to Russia about its war on Ukraine and reset Democrats' political messaging on their domestic priorities.…
Russia invades Ukraine: What happens next?
Russian military forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday, precipitating a dangerous security and humanitarian crisis in Europe. In a live Twitter Spaces conversation, a Brookings roundtable assessed the …
How far will Putin go against Ukraine?
In a special long episode of The Current, three Brookings Russia experts discuss what's driving Putin's actions against Ukraine, what his goals may be beyond the present crisis, and how U.S. and Euro…
How is US, NATO diplomacy addressing Russian troop buildup?
Tensions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict are escalating as Russia and Belarus engage in several days of military exercises, while U.S. and NATO allies continue a flurry of high-level diplomatic activi…
Will Biden's call for Senate filibuster reform carve out a path for voting rights?
While President Biden and congressional Democratic leadership's call to modify the filibuster to allow voting rights legislation to pass by a simple majority is in jeopardy, Rashawn Ray weighs in on …
Will Russia launch a full military invasion of Ukraine?
As Russian troops gather on Ukraine's borders, the outstanding question is whether Russian President Putin is prepared to bear the domestic and international costs of a full-scale invasion or if he'l…
What does Congress need to get done before the holidays?
After passing a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government operating into the new year, Congress still has a very full to-do list for the final weeks of 2021. Senior Fellow Molly Reynold…
Do COP26 pledges make enough progress on climate change?
The COP26 climate conference in Glasgow produced new agreements and pledges from 196 countries to continue cutting emissions in an effort to keep the global temperature from rising more than 1.5 degr…