Baker Briefing

Discussants

Rekha Lakshmanan

Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Ph.D.

The Honorable David M. Satterfield       

Armed conflicts in Gaza, Sudan, and Syria have made millions reliant on humanitarian assistance. However, the provision of critical food, water, health care, and other resource assistance has been complicated by the politicization of aid, highlighted by the recent decision by the Israeli parliament to ban UNRWA, the primary aid organization for Palestinians.

Women’s Rights, Human Rights, and Refugees Program director Kelsey Norman and postdoctoral associate Salah Ben Hammou joined Baker Briefing to discuss the parallels between the dire situations in Gaza, Sudan, and Syria and the complexities of delivering humanitarian aid to war-torn regions.

Discussants

Kelsey Norman, Ph.D.

Salah Ben Hammou, Ph.D.  

The Honorable David M. Satterfield       

Discussants

Daniel S. Cohan, Ph.D.

The Honorable David M. Satterfield

What role should religion — and Christianity in particular — play in public life? This question is at the center of legislative battles brewing in statehouses across the country. It stems largely from the growing influence of Christian nationalism, an ideology based around the idea that the United States is a Christian nation and that its government should follow conservative Christian religious principles.

Religion and Public Policy Program experts Michael Emerson and David Brockman joined Baker Institute Director David Satterfield to explore the evolution of the Christian nationalist movement, its support among the U.S. electorate, and its implications for public policy in Texas and across the country.

Discussants

David R. Brockman, Ph.D. 

Michael O. Emerson, Ph.D. 

Despite spending more on health care by percentage of GDP than its peer high-income countries, the U.S. hasn’t seen the abundance of services or improved outcomes for patients that one might expect. Instead, as medical costs increase, U.S. health outcomes continue to lag behind those of other developed nations.

Texas, which spends nearly $50 billion on health care annually, performs poorly relative to other states on key metrics like maternal mortality and deaths from preventable or treatable causes. But with its recent investments in health-impacting, non-medical services, it has a unique opportunity to get more value from its spending, according to Elena Marks, senior health policy fellow, and Charles Mathias, director of the Texas Consortium for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health. Marks and Mathias joined the Baker Briefing podcast to discuss how we can invest smarter for better health outcomes at both the state and federal levels.

For more from Marks and Mathias, read the report “Enhancing Texas’ Health Care Investments by Addressing Patients’ Non-Medical Needs,” published in September 2024.

Discussants

Elena Marks, J.D., MPH Senior Health Policy Fellow, Baker Institute

Charles Mathias, Ph.D. Director, Texas Consortium for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health, Baker Institute

The Honorable David M. Satterfield  Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy

On July 1, 2026, the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will decide whether or not to continue the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which entered into force in 2020. How can policymakers prepare for the negotiations and continue to work toward a strategic, mutually beneficial North American partnership?

This episode of Baker Briefing was originally published by the México Centered podcast. Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney and David A. Gantz, the Baker Institute’s Will Clayton Fellow in Trade and International Economics, joined host Tony Payan to explore major challenges on the horizon for U.S. trade policy, including the upcoming review of the USMCA and the rising influence of China.

Want to learn more? Watch “Election Insights: The Future of US Trade Policy,” a Baker Institute event held on Sept. 19.

This conversation was recorded on Sept. 19, 2024, before the inauguration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Oct. 1, 2024.

Discussants

David A. Gantz   Will Clayton Fellow in Trade and International Economics, Baker Institute; Samuel M. Fegtly Professor Emeritus, James E. Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona

C.J. Mahoney   Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Cloud + AI, Microsoft; Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative

Tony Payan, Ph.D. Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and Director, Center for the U.S. and Mexico, Baker Institute

Late last month, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico announced a “pause” in relations with the U.S. embassy. These latest tensions between the two countries came after U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar criticized López Obrador’s proposed judicial reforms, which include electing judges by popular vote. Salazar called this measure “a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy.”

When Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum, López Obrador’s protégé, takes office on Oct. 1, she will inherit the strained relationship with the U.S. and a host of other challenges facing Mexico. Tony Payan, director of the Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico, joined Baker Briefing to discuss the issues setting the backdrop for the new Sheinbaum administration and how she may — or may not — diverge from López Obrador’s playbook.

For more on the key policy issues facing Mexico, including its relations with the U.S., read “Mexico Country Outlook 2024,” this year’s edition of the flagship report by the Center for the U.S. and Mexico.

Discussants

Tony Payan, Ph.D. Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies and Director, Center for the U.S. and Mexico, Baker Institute

The Honorable David M. Satterfield  Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy

How might the future of energy unfold? Ken Medlock joined the Baker Briefing podcast to discuss the latest insights from our Center for Energy Studies experts on energy markets, geopolitics, sustainability, technology, and more

A glimpse into their research is compiled in “Energy Insights 2024,” a collection of articles designed to illuminate paths forward for policymakers and industry leaders. View or download the report here.

Discussants

Kenneth B. Medlock III, Ph.D.

The Honorable David M. Satterfield 

The right to believe what you want is baked into the fabric of American society. But throughout U.S. history, there has been considerable disagreement over how much influence those beliefs should have in law and government — particularly the Christian ideals many believe the nation was founded on.

Michael O. Emerson joined the podcast to explore not only the role of faith in U.S. politics, but the intersection of American Christianity and racial identity and what it means for public policy. Emerson recently co-authored the related book “The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith” (Oxford University Press, 2024) with Glenn E. Bracey II.

Discussants

Michael O. Emerson, Ph.D. Harry and Hazel Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy, Baker Institute

The Honorable David M. Satterfield  Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy

In late July, Venezuela’s electoral authority declared President Nicolás Maduro had won reelection — a result the opposition says was blatantly manipulated. The results were also denounced by the U.S., the E.U., and a number of Latin American countries. On this episode of Baker Briefing, Francisco Monaldi discusses what the post-election chaos means for the country’s troubled oil sector and U.S. policy toward Venezuela.

Discussants

Francisco J. Monaldi, Ph.D. Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy; Director, Latin America Energy Program, Baker Institute

The Honorable David M. Satterfield  Director, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy