Two Think Minimum

Jonathan Nuechterlein and Howard Shelanski on the third edition of Digital Crossroads by Technology Policy Institute

In our latest Two Think Minimum podcast we talk with Stanford Law Professor Michael McConnell about two landmark Supreme Court cases reshaping presidential power. McConnell, who represented challengers in the historic tariff case striking down the President's use of IEEPA, explains how the Court's application of the Major Questions Doctrine reinforces Congress's constitutional authority over taxation while limiting executive overreach. The conversation then turns to the anticipated overturning of Humphrey's Executor, which would eliminate for-cause removal protections for independent agency heads. McConnell argues these cases reflect consistent constitutional principles: Congress controls how much power the executive branch has, while the elected president must control the powers that exist within it.

In our latest Two Think Minimum podcast, TPI’s Scott Wallsten talks with Jeffrey Macher, Professor at Georgetown University, about new research on how generative AI is changing scientific publishing around the world. Macher discusses evidence that large language models are being adopted most rapidly by researchers in countries that are linguistically distant from English-speaking nations, and that the language of those papers is increasingly converging with the style of U.S.-based scientific publications. The conversation explores how this shift may expand global participation in research, intensify competition for journal space, and potentially influence long-run innovation and U.S. competitiveness, while also raising questions about how researchers, reviewers, and journals will adapt as AI tools become ubiquitous.

In this episode of Two Think Minimum, Ambassador Steve Lang, currently a senior advisor at Crest Hill Advisors and non-resident senior associate with CSIS, discusses WRC-27. He is a veteran diplomat and international policy leader. Steve Lang was confirmed by the Senate as U.S. Coordinator of International Communications and Information Policy, with the rank of Ambassador in 2024, and served in that role until 2025. He also served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Information and Communications Policy from 2022. As coordinator, Steve led U.S. delegations to numerous international conferences and negotiations, including WRC-23. In his 30-year career as a U.S. diplomat, Steve has served in Japan, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Thailand, and Cuba.

After Google and Meta: What Comes Next for Antitrust Policy with Jon Nuechterlein and Bill Kovacic by Technology Policy Institute