Baker Briefing

The clock is ticking toward the U.S. midterm elections, which will determine the balance of power in Washington D.C., for the next two years. Although he is not on the ballot, President Donald Trump may be a central consideration for voters when they head to the polls. Ambassador David M. Satterfield sits down with Mark P. Jones, fellow in political science, to discuss the competition for control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, as well as the money backing candidates.  They also discuss the impact of primary elections, concerns about the democratic process, and closely contested races across the country.  Featured: Mark P. Jones, Ph.D.: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/mark-p-jones.  This conversation was recorded on Oct. 26, 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.

Israelis will go to the polls on Oct. 27 at a consequential moment for the country and the region. Gaza, settler violence in the West Bank, and the war in Iran and Lebanon have placed new strains on relations between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel.  They have also raised difficult questions for Israeli Arabs about political participation, representation, identity, and the prospects for a shared society.  Mohammad Darawshe is director of strategy at the Center for Shared Society at Givat Haviva and a visiting professor at American University. He joins host Ambassador David M. Satterfield to discuss the role Arab citizens of Israel — who make up about a fifth of the electorate — will play in determining the country’s political future. They also offer insights on the integration of Arabs into Israeli universities and politics and their position within the global Palestinian diaspora.  Featured: Mohammad Darawshe, Director of Strategy at the Center for Shared Society, Givat Haviva: https://usfogh.org/board-staff/team/mohammad-darawshe  This conversation was recorded in front of a live studio audience on Oct. 19, 2026. Learn about future live recordings of the “Baker Briefing” podcast by subscribing to our “Events Digest” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter. Listen and subscribe on your favorite 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.

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.

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.

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.