America’s most dreaded day is coming. Why are taxes so complicated in America? Why are Americans still proud to pay them? And what happens when Congress cuts taxes? A few days before Tax Day, we talk to three tax experts about these issues and more in a new episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast.
What’s next in Syria? Yesterday, President Trump ordered strikes on Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Earlier this week, Amanda Sloat outlined several questions that still remain about the U.S. response and, more broadly, the future of U.S. strategy there. Writing for Lawfare, Daniel Byman explores what policy options the Trump administration has if it sought to push back on Russian influence in the region. Meanwhile, Natan Sachs highlights how the prospect of a U.S. withdrawal from the Middle East is making some of America’s allies—particularly Israel—nervous about the opening it could create for Iran.
Mulvaney’s actions speak louder than his words. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s acting director Mick Mulvaney, who faced off with senators on Capitol Hill this week, could be creating a significant step backward for eliminating racial discrimination in lending. Makada Henry-Nickie examines what impact dismantling the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity will have on fair lending enforcement and communities of color.
The future of modern warfare. The development of autonomous weapons is no longer science fiction—it’s already fueling a new global arms race. But can international law keep up? Legal, military, and ethics experts recently gathered to discuss this question at our fifth annual Justice Stephen Breyer lecture. Read a recap and watch the discussion.
The story behind the Oklahoma teacher walkout. National news stories about the recent protests by public school teachers in Oklahoma greatly oversimplified a highly complex issue. As the teacher walkouts end, Devon Carlson at the University of Oklahoma takes us back to 1990 to explain why the politics surrounding education in Oklahoma are much more than just a “red-state revolt.”
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