Will Iran’s reformist new president bring about meaningful change? Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar and Kristian Coates Ulrichsen joined the Baker Briefing podcast to discuss Masoud Pezeshkian’s surprising electoral victory and what to expect from his administration.
Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, David M. SatterfieldJuly 24, 2024
Farm labor shortages put pressure on the United States’ food security, the livelihoods of farmers and farmworkers, and the economies and identity of rural communities. In a new Center for the U.S and Mexico research paper, Alejandro Gutiérrez-Li, assistant professor at North Carolina State University, examines the crucial role played by Mexican immigrant farmworkers in putting food on American tables.
In 1969, nearly 50% of young people walked or biked to school, now that figure has dropped to just over 10%. This alarming decline in physical activity impacts children’s physical health, social health, well-being, and autonomy — presenting an urgent need to increase their physical activity by enhancing active transportation safety for children. This brief from the Child Health Policy Program provides key insights and policy recommendations.
Nelly Tkachman, Dilmi Ranpatabendi, Katarina Reyes, Zoabe HafeezJuly 18, 2024
Addressing non-medical drivers of health (NMDOH) is crucial to improving health outcomes and containing health care costs. A brief by Jacquie Klotz, Charles W. Mathias, and Elena M. Marks reports findings from policy crowdsourcing workshops. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers joined the Texas NMDOH Consortium to collaborate on identifying NMDOH policy opportunities in Texas. In the Fall of 2024, the Texas NMDOH Consortium will publish policy recommendations to elaborate on opportunities to advance the integration of non-medical interventions into the health care system.
Jacquie Klotz, Charles W. Mathias, Elena M. MarksJuly 17, 2024
Chile holds the world’s largest lithium reserves, yet the country’s current legal framework complicates the task of adding participants to boost lithium production. A commentary by nonresident fellow Benigna Cortés Leiss outlines the Chilean government’s new initiative to boost its lithium market share through collaborations between public and private sectors and questions its potential impacts on the lithium world market.
Texas’ growing population produces a mounting demand on the state’s power grid. In his recent testimony written for the Texas Senate Committee on Business and Commerce, Kenneth B. Medlock III, senior director of the Center for Energy Studies, examined the current power capacities of ERCOT, Texas’ grid operator. With support from a recent CES report, he outlined ways to address ERCOT’s structural risk through policy to promote investor and consumer confidence in Texas’ power supply.
Nearshoring is gaining global economic significance, with Mexico poised to capitalize on this trend due to its proximity to the U.S., skilled work force, and other competitive factors. A brief commissioned by the Center for the U.S. and Mexico outlines these advantages and discusses the infrastructural challenges that Mexico must overcome to unlock its nearshoring potential.
Indira Romero, Jesús Antonio López CabreraJuly 16, 2024
A slowing inflation rate, low unemployment, and record stock market highs all point to a strong economy. But are consumers really better off than they were four years ago? Center for Public Finance director John W. Diamond takes stock on the Baker Briefing podcast.
John W. Diamond, David M. SatterfieldJuly 15, 2024
Nearshoring offers Mexico a major economic opportunity; however, current policy hindering power expansion, energy transition, and private investment forestalls this prospect. A report by the Center for the U.S. and Mexico on their collaborative workshop series with Tecnológico de Monterrey dissects the power sector’s critical role in nearshoring efforts and offers policy recommendations for a way forward.
Tony Payan, Rodrigo Montes de Oca, Rolando Fuentes, Roberto Duran-FernandezJuly 3, 2024
Can Texas’ approach to U.S.-Mexico border relations really solve long-standing migration and fentanyl issues? This new brief from the Center for the U.S and Mexico — based on a conversation with R. Gil Kerlikowske, former Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection — examines Gov. Greg Abbott’s strategy, focusing on the deployment of buoys along the Rio Grande and their symbolism.