Thousands of local newspapers have closed in recent years, and thousands more have cut back staff and reduced their coverage. In the wake of the merger of the nation's two largest newspaper publishers, Gannett and GateHouse Media, Research Analyst Clara Hendrickson explains the economic forces driving the crisis in local journalism, and why it matters for the democratic and economic health of local communities.

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2OvYPHR 

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Following President Trump and President Erdoğan's meeting at the White House, Amanda Sloat breaks down the points of tension between the U.S., Turkey, and European Union, Congress' role in the U.S.-Turkey relationship, and what, if anything, was achieved during the visit. 

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Just back from Southeast Asia, Senior Fellow Jonathan Stromseth reports on the outcomes from the annual ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit, including the continued delay of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China's economic influence in the region, and how the Trump administration's rhetoric and actions are being perceived in the region.

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/33kHBDD 

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On Oct. 31, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that set out the procedures for the next steps in the ongoing impeachment inquiry. Brookings Senior Fellow Molly Reynolds explains why the resolution was important symbolically as well as substantively, how the Trump impeachment inquiry is different from the Clinton impeachment, and what other priorities are still on Congress' agenda.

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2WA6Sas 

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Mass street demonstrations are a political tradition in Chile, Richard Feinberg explains, but even as the rise of social media as an organizing tool and decline in the power of political parties makes it harder for the Piñera government to negotiate reforms that will satisfy most of the population, Chile's leaders will have to find a better balance between economic growth and social justice to avoid repeating tragedies from Chile's past.

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

As United Auto Workers ratify a new employment contract with General Motors, ending one of the largest auto strikes in decades, Joseph Kane explains what this and other recent strikes indicate about the state of the economy at national and regional levels. Kane also explores the role of unions in supporting workers beyond their traditional collective bargaining power, especially in states with "right-to-work" laws. 

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2Necv9N 

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Following several days of demonstrations in Lebanon, Hady Amr explains the fundamental issues underlying these protests and who constitutes the protesters’ coalition. Amr, a nonresident senior fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, also details the government’s response and how demonstrations may affect the region.

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

As Parliament debates the latest version of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, Tom Wright explains what the terms of the new deal mean for Northern Ireland, whether the U.K. is still at risk of a no-deal Brexit outcome, and what Brexit means for the future of U.S.-U.K. relations and the broader trans-Atlantic relationship. 

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2PkTm95 

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

As anti-government protests in Baghdad and across southern Iraq escalate, Senior Fellow Vanda Felbab-Brown, who was recently in Iraq, provides necessary context for understanding the situation. Felbab-Brown explains the protesters’ demands, the Iraqi government’s response, and the likelihood protests will spread to other regions of the country.  

Fully show notes: https://brook.gs/2pTAEKW

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

As the House impeachment inquiry pushes forward, John Hudak examines the political calculations that drove the decision to launch the inquiry and will shape it going forward, how much (or little) we can learn from past impeachments, and how Republican members of Congress are reacting to the current state of affairs surrounding the president.

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2nZjk6D 

Subscribe to Brookings podcasts on Apple or on Google podcasts, send feedback email to [email protected], and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter.

The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.