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 

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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 

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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.

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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 

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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.

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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 

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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

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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 

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The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces the formal launch of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, Margaret Taylor explains the significance of the whistleblower complaint regarding White House pressure on Ukraine, and why this scandal has been the one to move the House to action.

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2mvB1ty 

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The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

With Israel's elections deadlocked between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and the centrist Blue and White party, headed by Benny Gantz, Natan Sachs explains what's at stake for Netanyahu personally, and the ramifications for Israeli politics, democracy, and U.S. relations.

Full show notes: https://brook.gs/2LYpkV9 

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.