Baker Briefing

5.0 (23)
POLITICS
UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

2D AGO

12: Inside Iran's Unstable Moment

What do Iran’s converging challenges — environmental stress, economic strain, security concerns and an unresolved nuclear file — signal for the country’s leadership, society and role in the region? Mohammad Tabaar joined the podcast to discuss the internal and external pressures shaping Iran today, the choices Tehran may face in the months ahead, and what those decisions could mean for regional stability. Featured: Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Ph.D. This conversation was recorded on Jan. 22, 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.

29 min
JAN 16

11: After Maduro’s Ouster, What Happens to Venezuela’s Oil?

What does the removal of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. military force signal for the future of Venezuela’s oil industry? Francisco Monaldi and Ken Medlock joined the podcast to discuss President Donald Trump’s recently released plan for taking over and selling the country’s crude oil, the risks and incentives for U.S. and international oil companies, and the implications for oil flows across Latin America. Featured guests: Ken Medlock, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/kenneth-b-medlock-iii Francisco Monaldi, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/francisco-j-monaldi This conversation was recorded on Jan. 12, 2026.

39 min
JAN 12 · BONUS

Bonus: Ben Ginsberg on Contested Elections, Then and Now

In this bonus episode, we’re sharing a conversation with Ben Ginsberg, a high-profile elections lawyer and key figure in the 2000 Bush v. Gore litigation, from the elections conference we held last month in partnership with The Carter Center. Ginsberg joined David Satterfield to discuss that landmark dispute 25 years later. Their conversation also explored contemporary electoral issues in the U.S., from the counting of mail-in ballots to partisan redistricting. Our annual co-hosted elections conference is designed to build on the legacy of the 2005 bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker, III. Our 2025 conference examined contested elections in the U.S. on the 25th anniversary of the landmark Bush v. Gore decision. Featured: Ben Ginsberg, J.D., https://www.hoover.org/profiles/benjamin-ginsberg Mentioned in this episode: “25 Years After Bush v. Gore: Contested Elections Then and Now, ” hosted at the Baker Institute on Dec. 8, 2025. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

44 min
JAN 7

10: What the Numbers Say (and Miss) About Trump’s Economy

A year into the second Trump administration, what does the latest data tell us about the U.S. economy, which the president touted in a primetime address last month? And what can the numbers tell us, given changes in how economic data is collected following the government shutdown? John Diamond, director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy and host of “The Two-Handed Economist,” joined the podcast to discuss the latest on inflation and the labor market, the impact of tariffs, and what consumers and investors can expect in 2026. Featured: John Diamond, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/john-w-diamond Learn more about Diamond’s podcast here. This conversation was recorded on Dec. 16, 2025. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

35 min
12/16/2025

9: Iran Is Recalibrating Its National Identity

Iran is facing a cascade of domestic challenges, including a deepening currency crisis and drought so severe that President Masoud Pezeshkian has suggested residents of the capital city Tehran may need to evacuate. Meanwhile, strain is building over nuclear talks in the aftermath of the 12-day conflict with Israel and the U.S. in June 2025. Middle East fellow Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss how the regime is managing these pressures — and redefining Iran’s national identity in the process. Featured guest: Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/mohammad-ayatollahi-tabaar This conversation was recorded on Dec. 8, 2025. 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 min
12/04/2025

8: What Happens If the ACA Subsidies Expire?

Without a last-minute extension of enhanced tax credits, Americans who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will see their premiums spike in January. How did we get here, and why are health care access and affordability such persistent policy challenges? Dr. Heidi Russell and Elena M. Marks joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss what happens when the ACA subsidy enhancements expire and offer insights for moving the U.S. health system forward. Featured guests: Elena Marks, MPH, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/elena-m-marks Heidi Russell, MD, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/heidi-russell This conversation was recorded on Nov. 20, 2025. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

36 min
11/18/2025 · BONUS

Bonus: Women, War, and State Power in Russia

On Oct. 30, journalist Julia Ioffe visited the Baker Institute to discuss her new book: “Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy.” This episode is a condensed version of her conversation with Alan Crain, chairman of the Houston Committee on Foreign Relations, on how women’s roles in Russia — from the Bolshevik revolution to the present — have both mirrored and shaped political power. Want to watch the full event? View it on our website: https://bit.ly/3JPVg00. Subscribe to our “Events Digest” newsletter to learn about upcoming Baker Institute events and how to join in person or via livestream: 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.

34 min
11/10/2025

7: Reimagining US-Mexico Water Cooperation

A water crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border is growing. The 1944 Water Treaty has long guided how both nations share the Rio Grande and Colorado rivers, but climate change, drought, and growing demand are testing its limits. Guest host Tony Payan speaks with Rosario Sanchez, a senior research scientist at the Texas Water Resources Institute, and Ivonne Cruz, a research scholar at the Baker Institute, about how to rethink water cooperation for an age of scarcity — and what it will take to build a more resilient future for both countries. Featured guests: Ivonne Cruz, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/ivonne-cruz Rosario Sanchez, Ph.D., https://twri.tamu.edu/rosario-sanchez/ Mentioned in this episode: Mexico Country Outlook 2026, Rice University’s Baker Institute, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/mexico-country-outlook-2026 This conversation was recorded on Oct. 23, 2025. You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

49 min

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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.

S2

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16 min

5

out of 5

23 Ratings

Actual subject experts. No stupid debates.

01/26/2024

Eric Staib

Thank you so much Baker Institute! I actually *learn* about new things from this podcast. Truly horizon-broadening work!
Nonpartisan Analysis & Discussions of Current Events

05/19/2023

Moe AlJuboori

So happy to finally see a podcast coming from the Baker Institute. Great production, excellent content, and just the right time for each episode.
Excellent podcast

03/22/2023

gugs76

Excellent podcast to stay up to date with today’s main issues
High Quality

02/11/2023

TJ 54321

Very interesting podcasts of the most important events affecting the world today. Well produced and high quality as one would expect from the Baker Institute. Perhaps not for everyone, but if you seek an unbiased view of the most important current events of the day, this is for you!

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.