Research Library

David R. Brockman and Edward M. Emmett discuss three high-profile bills introduced by Texas lawmakers in 2023 and their connection to a broader movement that seeks to privilege Christianity in public schools.

Over half of all Americans live in a state where cannabis is legalized. And yet, the federal government has not reclassified marijuana since 1970. According to the Controlled Substances Act, it is considered a “Schedule 1” substance — the same classification as heroin and crack cocaine with no accepted medical use.

On September 13, 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Negotiator Mahmoud Abbas met at the White House to sign a Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements — commonly referred to as the “Oslo Accord.” The Accord stated that Israel accepted the PLO as the representative of the Palestinians, and the PLO renounced terrorism and recognized Israel’s right to exist in peace.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne and the Center for the U.S. and Mexico's Tony Payan explore the complex relationship between Mexico and the U.S. and what their future might hold.

Child labor laws are failing migrant children. As children from Latin America migrate to the United States in record numbers, many are ending up in dangerous jobs that violate child labor legislation. What steps are needed to ensure that vulnerable migrant children are protected from exploitation?

In March 2023, four U.S. citizens were kidnapped at gunpoint in northern Mexico; two were found dead and two others were rescued following a manhunt. The incident quickly became an international crisis and renewed U.S. focus on violence south of the border. This conversation explores the binational relationship between the U.S. and Mexico and growing tensions regarding Mexico’s approach to clamping down on violence and crime. 

The Texas power grid is infamously disconnected from the rest of the U.S. Its status as an “energy island” can bring both advantages and disadvantages. Two years ago, Winter Storm Uri knocked out power across Texas for days and exposed major reliability concerns. Here, we discuss changes made in the two years since Winter Storm Uri. Is the Texas grid “fixed?”

As the tensions at the U.S.-Mexico the border continue, President Biden visited El Paso, Texas on January 8, 2023 to discuss his plan for clamping down on illegal immigration. We discuss the state of U.S. border policy, President Biden’s latest plans, and how the U.S. can mitigate the immigration crisis.