Baker Briefing

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Hosted by former U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield, “Baker Briefing” makes news make sense by bringing together experts from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and beyond to break down the most important foreign and domestic policy issues of the day. New episodes weekly.

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46: How Migration Management Deals Can Aid Autocrats

In the past decade, wealthier developed countries, particularly those in the EU, have tried a novel tactic to stem the flow of unauthorized migrants from the Global South: paying governments to prevent such individuals from leaving their own country. Countries tend to promote these migration management deals — worth billions of U.S. dollars — as a way to address the root causes of irregular migration, including the lack of public resources and economic opportunity as well as risks from climate disasters and political instability. Kelsey Norman, fellow for the Middle East and director of the Women’s Rights, Human Rights, and Refugees Program, and Nicholas R. Micinski, assistant professor at American University, recently published their book, “Aiding Autocrats: Migration Management, Governance, and Repression in Africa,” which examines how this funding affects state power and governance in countries on the receiving end of the aid. Featured: Kelsey Norman, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/kelsey-norman Nicholas R. Micinski, Ph.D.: https://www.american.edu/sis/faculty/nmicinski.cfm Mentioned in this episode: Kelsey Norman and Nicholas R. Micinski, “Aiding Autocrats: Migration Management, Governance, and Repression in Africa” (Cambridge University Press, 2026). This conversation was recorded on Sept. 30, 2026. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.
23 Sept

45: What To Expect From the Second Trump-Xi Summit

President Donald Trump will be meeting in Washington, D.C. with President Xi Jinping for their second in-person meeting this year. The summit comes against the backdrop of increasing attention on artificial intelligence, U.S. arm sales to Taiwan, and an ongoing trade dispute that dates back to Trump’s first term. Beyond policy, the meeting will likely highlight Trump’s primary approach to statecraft: prioritizing direct, personal leader-to-leader diplomacy. In this episode of Baker Briefing, Ambassador David M. Satterfield speaks with C.V. Starr Transnational China Fellow Steven W. Lewis and nonresident scholar David H. Katz about how President Xi views the U.S., China’s strategy regarding Iran, and the role of ambiguity in diplomacy. Featured: Steven W. Lewis, Ph.D: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/steven-w-lewis Daniel H. Katz, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/daniel-h-katz Mentioned in this episode: Daniel H. Katz and Steven W. Lewis, “Trump-Xi Summit Tests the Future of US-China Relations” This conversation was recorded on Sept. 18, 2026. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.
18 Sept

44: Bonds, Budget, and Deficit: The State of US Financial Markets

A growing national debt. Interest payments that constrain the outlook on the U.S. government’s other fiscal priorities. Significant investments in artificial intelligence that could reshape the American economy. These are some of the challenges, in addition to rising costs, that face legislators and the public when it comes to the country’s finances. In this episode of “Baker Briefing”, recorded in front of a live studio audience, Ambassador David M. Satterfield talks to John W. Diamond, director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy at the Baker Institute, about America’s fiscal future and the persistent problems facing policymakers today. This conversation was recorded on Sept. 15, 2026. The following day, the Federal Open Market Committee voted to raise the target range for the federal funds rate by a quarter percentage point. Mentioned in this episode: The Two-Handed Economist, “Is America Saving the Yen — or the US Treasury Market?,” https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/america-saving-yen-or-us-treasury-market. Learn about future live recordings of the “Baker Briefing” podcast by subscribing to our “Events Digest” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.
2 Sept

43: Unpacking Venezuela’s Opaque Oil Deal

A recently announced deal between the U.S. and Venezuela to produce 65 billion barrels of oil – roughly a fifth of Venezuela’s total proven oil reserves – has raised questions about its terms. A single Latin American company, NABEP, run by Venezuelan executive Alejandro Betancourt, has been tapped to produce the oil, with part of the company being potentially owned by the U.S. Department of Defense. But it is unclear whether the oil fields covered by the contract can support the scale of production promised. And while the U.S. has an agreement to buy some of the oil produced at cost, do not expect prices at the pump to go down tomorrow. Francisco J. Monaldi, Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy and director of the Latin America Energy Program, joins Ambassador David M. Satterfield to discuss what is known – and what remains unclear – about the deal, as well as the promise of a Latin American energy boom to come. Featured: Francisco J. Monaldi, Ph.D: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/francisco-j-monaldi. This conversation was recorded on Sept. 1, 2026. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.
14 Jul

42: A New Iranian Era Emerges, Cloaked in Red

The funeral procession of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, wound through major holy cities across the region last week. The mourners, traditionally clad in black, carried red banners conveying a clear message: The regime is seeking vengeance. The apparent collapse of a fledgling ceasefire and renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran chart a troubling course for the region. Iranian leaders are seeking to reassert leverage, and that strategy may depend less on uranium enrichment and centrifuges than on control of the narrow strip of water that has become one of the conflict’s most consequential flashpoints. Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Baker Institute Fellow for the Middle East, joins Ambassador David M. Satterfield to discuss how one critical week could mark a turning point for Iran and the broader region. Mentioned in this episode: Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, “Iran Embraces a Forever War,” by Mohammad Tabaar in Foreign Affairs, June 2, 2026. This conversation was recorded on July 10, 2026. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.
30 Jun

41: How the Supreme Court Is Reshaping American Law

The U.S. Supreme Court is issuing decisions that could shape American law for years to come. In this conversation, Ambassador David M. Satterfield speaks with David W. Leebron, president emeritus of Rice University and former dean of Columbia Law School, about what the current term’s rulings reveal about the direction of the institution, how the Roberts Court has evolved over the past two decades, and what these developments could mean for public confidence in the nation’s highest court. This conversation was recorded on June 12, 2026. Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.
29 Jun

40: What Can We Expect From the 2026 USMCA Review?

On July 1, negotiators will begin the formal review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade pact affecting billions of dollars in commerce and tens of millions of workers across North America. What priorities will each country bring to the table, and how likely is a consensus to extend the agreement for another 16 years? Ahead of the 2026 USMCA review, center experts David A. Gantz and Simon Lester joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss the negotiating landscape — one shaped by trade tensions, tariff policy, and evolving political dynamics across North America. This conversation was recorded on June 22, 2026. Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.
25 Jun

39: Inside Syria’s Struggle for Governance and Stability

For more than a decade, Syria was defined by war, displacement, and devastation. The fall of Bashar al-Assad marked a historic turning point but also raised a difficult question: What comes next for a country rebuilding after years of conflict? Baker Institute Fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen speaks with Mona Yacoubian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies about Syria’s fragile transition. They discuss the country’s political and economic challenges, prospects for refugee return, and the role regional powers and the international community may play in shaping its future. This conversation was recorded on June 3, 2026. Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

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Trailer

Introducing Season 2

Baker Institute Director David M. Satterfield sits down with Karina Zemel, lead producer of the “Baker Briefing” podcast, to discuss the challenges of communicating policy in a politically polarized era and the conversations ahead on Season 2 of the podcast.

Hosted by former U.S. Ambassador David Satterfield, “Baker Briefing” makes news make sense by bringing together experts from Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and beyond to break down the most important foreign and domestic policy issues of the day. New episodes weekly.