President Erdoğan "has been one of the symbols of democracy's global decline" and Turkey's upcoming elections will have consequences not only for Turkey, but the world, says Aslı Aydintaşbaş.  In the latest episode of The Current, Aydintaşbaş assesses how public opinion of Erdoğan has shifted after the recent devastating earthquake and why the political opposition has coalesced around Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. 

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/whats-at-stake-in-turkeys-elections 

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Former CEO of MasterCard Ajay Banga has been nominated to be the next president of the World Bank following the early resignation of outgoing President David Malpass. Homi Kharas explains the challenges ahead for the World Bank to integrate climate change into its economic development agenda and how Banga's background in large-scale financial services may be brought to bear to expand the bank's efforts.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/who-is-ajay-banga-us-nominee-for-world-bank-president/ 

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In his visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued "a strident call for calm" over recent escalating violence, while also voicing concerns over Prime Minister Netanyahu's efforts to weaken Israel's Supreme Court. Natan Sachs discusses the new hardline government, what changes to the judiciary could mean for Israel's democracy, and where the U.S. could potentially have influence.

Transcript and show notes: https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/how-is-the-us-weighing-in-with-israels-new-hardline-government/ 

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The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

After the U.S. reached its debt limit last week, Secretary Janet Yellen announced that the Treasury will engage in extraordinary measure to prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debt, but it remains to be seen how and when Congress will take action. Brookings experts David Wessel, Bill Gale, Molly Reynolds, Wendy Edelberg explain the debt ceiling, the economic ramifications of default, and the politics of finding a solution.

Transcript and show notes: https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/whats-happening-with-the-debt-ceiling-again/ 

On the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Élysée, Constanze Stelzenmüller and Tara Varma examine the French-German cooperative framework, and France and Germany's role as a driver for European partnership, leadership, and answering the challenge of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Transcript and show notes: https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/60-years-later-can-france-and-germany-fulfill-the-ambitions-of-the-treaty-of-elysee/ 

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In Moore v. Harper, the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case from North Carolina about whether state legislatures have unrestricted powers in how they administer federal elections, including the drawing of congressional district maps. Russell Wheeler explains the independent state legislature theory at the heart of the case, and what the Court's ruling could mean for partisan gerrymandering and the future of how states run elections.

Show notes and transcript: https://www.brookings.edu/podcast-episode/moore-v-harper-who-has-the-power-to-set-state-election-rules/ 

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China's 20th Party Congress demonstrated that none of Beijing's recent troubles, from public anger over COVID lockdowns to economic slowdowns and rising international tensions, have dented President Xi Jinping's grip on power, says Patricia Kim. In this episode, Kim examines what leadership personnel changes and Xi's domestic focus on national security mean for China's near-term trajectory.

Show notes: https://brook.gs/3Tw0ttk 

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Amid a host of challenges, the three major priorities of this year's United Nations General Assembly will be Russia's war against Ukraine, climate change, and food shortages. Bruce Jones explains the sideline diplomacy happening in New York, and the rising tension between Western countries' focus on geopolitics and the global South's need for progress on climate change.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3QKpJdj 

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The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

One year after the U.S. troop withdrawal, Afghanistan faces a collapsed economy, humanitarian crisis, and a Taliban regime essentially unchanged from that of 1996-2001. Madiha Afzal discusses the Taliban's restrictions on civil society, the segregation of women and girls from public life, and the need for more creative policies to alleviate Afghan people's suffering without helping the Taliban.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3TuLZug 

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After President Biden's release of his plan for student debt relief, Andre Perry explains the impact loan forgiveness will have on student debt holders, the role of student debt in racial wealth and income inequality, and how to keep higher education attainable for the public.

Show notes and transcript: https://brook.gs/3QVr9Ct 

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The Current is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.