The AEI Events Podcast American Enterprise Institute

In https://www.aei.org/research-products/book/the-poor-side-of-town-and-why-we-need-it/ (“The Poor Side of Town: And Why We Need It”) (Encounter Books, 2021), AEI’s Howard Husock combines a critique of more than a century of housing reform policies with the idea that simple low-cost housing — a poor side of town — helps those of modest means build financial assets and join in the local democratic process.
Mr. Husock shares the powerful stories of housing reformers, critiques the legacy of urban renewal policies and exclusionary zoning, and shows where American cities went wrong. More importantly, he offers solutions as to how urban planners, state and local policymakers, and concerned citizens can help their communities make housing more affordable and accessible for those of modest means.
Watch the full event https://www.aei.org/events/the-poor-side-of-town-and-why-we-need-it-a-book-talk-with-howard-husock/ (here).

As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to shift from an acute crisis to an endemic pathogen, AEI’s Scott Gottlieb — physician, medical policy expert, public health advocate, and former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner — is releasing a book, “Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic” (HarperCollins, September 2021), to help leaders and policymakers understand how COVID-19 was able to trounce America’s pandemic preparations.
Dr. Gottlieb identifies why the United States was caught unprepared and outlines essential policies and investments to protect the United States and the world from future threats. He outlines specific steps that must be taken to protect against the next outbreak.
Please join Dr. Gottlieb and AEI President Robert Doar for a discussion of the issues raised in “Uncontrolled Spread.”
https://www.uncontrolledspread.com/ (Purchase your copy here.)
Watch the full event https://www.aei.org/events/uncontrolled-spread-a-book-event-with-scott-gottlieb/ (here).

Twenty years after the 9/11 attacks, the Joe Biden administration has ended the “forever war” in Afghanistan, replacing US boots on the ground with an over-the-horizon counterterrorism capability. Africa, not the Middle East, has become the next frontier for groups such as al Qaeda and the Islamic State. What lessons should we take from past counterterrorism efforts to address today’s and tomorrow’s threats?
AEI and the https://ctc.usma.edu/ (Combating Terrorism Center) at the US Military Academy at West Point host a discussion exploring the trajectory of the transnational terrorism threat and the successes and failures of the past two decades of counterterrorism operations.
Watch the full event https://www.aei.org/events/20-years-after-9-11-counterterrorism-lessons-for-future-frontiers/ (here).

The majority of the world’s central banks are exploring digital currency. Most proposals for a central bank digital currency could function like US dollars. It could be widely accepted, an alternative to cash in an increasingly cashless society. In the US, a digital currency could give access to the financial system to the unbanked and may increase the efficiency of financial transactions.
Should the Fed launch a digital currency? Federal Reserve Governor Christopher J. Waller will give a speech on this issue, followed by a conversation with AEI’s Michael R. Strain.
Watch the full event https://www.aei.org/events/should-the-fed-launch-a-digital-currency-a-speech-by-federal-reserve-governor-christopher-waller/ (here).

The Joe Biden administration’s announcement in early May that it would support suspending intellectual property (IP) rights at the World Trade Organization for COVID-19-related vaccines and treatments provoked controversy in the US and abroad.
Advocates argue that waiving Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) — as South Africa and India proposed late last year — will enable fast, safe, and cheap vaccine manufacturing and distribution to the developing countries suffering most from the pandemic. Opponents contend the waiver will harm future innovation and damage the global IP regime without actually helping those most in need.
Join AEI’s Michael Rosen for a panel discussion on the TRIPS waiver from multiple perspectives, focusing on IP, global public health, supply chains, vaccine diplomacy, and other pressing topics.
Watch the full event https://www.aei.org/events/confronting-joe-bidens-proposed-trips-waiver-for-covid-19-vaccines-and-treatments/ (here).

The US defense budget is at its largest in decades, yet the Air Force’s combat-coded aircraft inventory, the Navy’s battle-force ship fleet, and the Army’s number of active-duty soldiers have all shrunk. Is this trend reversible?
The Pentagon’s creeping bureaucracy is plagued by slow-moving acquisition processes, the rise of numerous powerful defense agencies, and climbing overhead costs. Feasible improvements exist, but as Maj. Gen. Arnold L. Punaro (ret.) warns in his latest book, “The Ever-Shrinking Fighting Force” (Punaro Press, 2021), “Bad processes beat good people all the time.”
Join AEI’s Mackenzie Eaglen as she hosts Maj. Gen. Punaro — former staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee — and former Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO) for a discussion of the opportunities and challenges for securing America’s military future.