The Current Podcast
1) Can the COP30 climate conference achieve its goals?
The thirtieth Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP30, meets in Belém, Brazil next week. The most urgent challenge is finance: How do we pay fo...Show More
2) Syria at a crossroads
After years of war, Syria is attempting to rebuild under a new government. Brookings Fellow and Director of the Turkey Project Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is joined by Visiting Fellow Mara Karlin, a former assis...Show More
3) APEC 2025: What’s at stake?
The annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, or APEC, starts October 31 in South Korea. Leaders from the twenty-one Pacific Rim economies are expected to attend. In this episode o...Show More
4) Is DC’s economy stalling? Insights from the DMV Monitor
The Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, known as the DMV — District, Maryland, and Virginia — is home to the U.S. federal government, 6.4 million people, and hundreds of thousands of private sector...Show More
5) Is this government shutdown different?
As of October 1, 2025, non-essential U.S. government operations ceased due to the failure of Congress to pass legislation that funds government agencies. The latest shutdown follows others that have o...Show More
6) The United Nations at 80: Does multilateralism still matter?
The 80th UN General Assembly is underway in New York City, in session from just after Labor Day into December. The annual High-Level Week, when world leaders gather, ended in September. To share their...Show More
7) What’s the FCC’s role in regulating broadcast content in an era of media consolidation?
On this episode — a look at the shifting landscape of media regulation, consolidation, and the ongoing debate over free speech in the wake of Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension from his late-night talk show an...Show More
8) Is the credibility of US government data at risk? Why it matters to everyone.
The credibility of U.S. federal government data may seem an arcane topic, but it is critical for a well-functioning economy. To explore the importance of reliable economic data and potential challenge...Show More
9) What’s the president’s legal basis for sending National Guard troops to DC streets?
On August 11, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that put the federal government in charge of the local police force. A second executive order directed members of the D.C. National Guard...Show More
10) How resilient is New Orleans today?
20 years after Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast, researchers from New Orleans, Brookings, and The Data Center are examining how the city has recovered and the challenges it still ...Show More