November 18, 2009
What stands in the way of recovery? On Wednesday, November 18, Alan Berube and Politico Senior Editor David Mark answered questions in a live web chat about how the nation’s large metropolitan areas—including Washington, DC—have fared in the downturn.
November 11, 2009
President Obama approved the expansion and extension of the homebuyer tax credit initially approved as part of the economic stimulus package. While this move is intended to spur home sales, many experts argue that extending the tax credit is bad policy. On Wednesday, November 11, Ted Gayer and Politico Senior Editor Fred Barbash will be online to answer your questions about the homebuyer tax credit in a live web chat.
November 4, 2009
China’s continued ascension presents policy challenges for both Beijing and Washington. President Barack Obama made his first trip to China from November 15-18. Kenneth Lieberthal and Fred Barbash, Politico's senior editor, took questions about the president’s trip to China in this edition of the Scouting Report.
October 28, 2009
Recent decades have seen sharply rising incomes for the rich, modest progress for the middle class, and little or no progress for the poor. How can more people achieve the American Dream? On Wednesday, October 28, Ron Haskins and Politico Senior Editor Fred Barbash conducted a live web chat about expanding economic opportunity in America.
October 21, 2009
As the nation and the world continue to grapple with H1N1, and while delivery of the vaccine in the United States faces delays, school closures are one policy tool under consideration to slow spread of the pandemic. Ross Hammond, co-author of a recent report that quantified the economic effects of school closures, and Fred Barbash, Politico senior editor, answered questions in a live web chat about the implications and potential costs of this approach.
October 14, 2009
Isabel Sawhill, a Brookings expert and co-author of the recent book Creating an Opportunity Society, answered questions during a live web chat about ways to expand the middle class and make upward mobility a reality for families, including: more and better education, more work and strong families. Fred Barbash, senior editor at Politico, moderated the discussion.
October 7, 2009
New technology and modes of warfare are changing our understanding of national security and defense capabilities. On Wednesday, October 7, Peter W. Singer and Fred Barbash answered questions about defense issues in a high-tech world, including: current U.S. defense needs; defense energy security; and future priorities such as robotic warfare on the ground, in the air and from space.
September 30, 2009
On Wednesday, September 30, Brookings guest scholar and former Member of Congress William Frenzel, along with Politico’s Fred Barbash, answered your questions about the U.S. budget deficit and its link to health care reform and economic growth.
September 23, 2009
At 12:30 on September 23, Colin Bradford, former chief economist at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Fred Barbash, senior editor at Politico, answered questions about the G-20 Summit and global economic recovery.
September 16, 2009
The collapse of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, combined with the government takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, helped trigger the worst financial crisis in the United States since the Great Depression. In this week’s edition of the Scouting Report, Douglas Elliott—a former investment banker and current fellow at Brookings—answered your questions about the financial crisis and where we stand one year later. Fred Barbash, senior editor at Politico, moderated the discussion.
September 9, 2009
Ron Nessen, former White House Press Secretary and NBC reporter, now Journalist in Residence at the Brookings Institution, took your questions about the future of the news industry. Fred Barbash, senior editor at Politico, moderated the discussion.
September 2, 2009
On Wednesday, September 2, Brookings expert Russ Whitehurst, who directs the Brown Center for Education at Brookings, and Fred Barbash, senior editor of Politico, took questions on American education policy.
August 26, 2009
On August 20, Afghans headed to the polls for the first contested national elections in Afghanistan’s history. On Wednesday, August 26, Brookings expert Michael O’Hanlon returned from a trip to Afghanistan and answered your questions about that country’s presidential election in a live web chat with Fred Barbash, senior editor of Politico.
August 19, 2009
With Congress out on recess, climate change and health care reform efforts are stalled. Thomas Mann and Politico's Fred Barbash took questions in a live web chat on whether partisan gridlock and hefty price tags could prevent these bills’ passage.
August 12, 2009
At the six-month mark of his presidency, Barack Obama is dealing with issues from a renewed insurgency in Afghanistan and political turmoil in Iran to a heated health care debate at home. Brookings expert William Galston and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash took a close look at President Obama’s progress and answered questions about how the president is doing in this edition of the Scouting Report.
August 5, 2009
Former President Bill Clinton traveled to Pyongyang for a surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on Tuesday, and secured the release of two American reporters detained since March. This visit came at a tense time following North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile tests in the past months. Brookings expert Richard Bush and Politico's Fred Barbash took questions on the North Korea nuclear problem in this week’s edition of the Scouting Report.
July 29, 2009
President Obama recently announced that his administration will need at least six more months to devise a long-term plan for detainees in the military detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba who cannot be tried but are considered too dangerous for release. Brookings expert Benjamin Wittes joined Fred Barbash, senior editor at Politico, in a live web chat about the challenges the Obama administration faces in closing Guantánamo.
July 22, 2009
Brookings Managing Director William Antholis, who served at the National Security Council during the Kyoto Protocol negotiations, and Fred Barbash, senior editor of Politico, took questions on the domestic and international implications of climate change and the outlook for international cooperation on addressing global warming in this edition of the Scouting Report.
July 15, 2009
Brookings expert Mauricio Cárdenas, director of the Latin America Initiative at Brookings, and Fred Barbash, senior editor of Politico, took questions on U.S.-Latin America relations in this edition of the Scouting Report.
July 8, 2009
Brookings expert Russell Wheeler and Politico Senior Editor Fred Barbash took questions about the historic nomination of Sonia Sotomayor in the July 8 edition of the Scouting Report.
July 1, 2009
In the July 1 edition of The Scouting Report, Brookings expert Adele Morris and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash took questions on climate change legislation as it moves to the Senate.
June 24, 2009
On Wednesday, June 24 at 12:30, Brookings expert Henry Aaron joined Politico’s Fred Barbash for a live web chat on how to balance the fiscal and societal issues at play in reforming the health care system.
June 17, 2009
Brookings expert Darrell West and Politico Senior Editor David Mark discussed ways the government can use the Internet and new technologies to provide better, faster, more transparent and accountable service to its people in the June 17 edition of the Scouting Report.
June 10, 2009
To examine the outlook for and implications of Iran’s presidential election on June 12, Brookings expert Suzanne Maloney and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash took questions in the June 10 edition of the Scouting Report.
June 3, 2009
In the June 3 edition of the Scouting Report live web chat, Brookings policy expert Mark Muro and Politico senior editor Fred Barbash discussed how "The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009" is more than just a cap-and-trade bill. The bill has significant components dedicated to energy innovation and clean energy technology development and deployment.
May 27, 2009
In this edition of the Scouting Report, Brookings expert Tamara Cofman Wittes and Politico senior editor Fred Barbash discussed the issues involved with the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict and re-invigorating the Middle East peace process.
May 20, 2009
In May, U.S. and Russian officials began meetings in Moscow to discuss cutting stockpiles of nuclear weapons. To assesses the considerations of both the United States and Russia and to offer suggestions for building a new framework to reduce strategic arsenals, Brookings expert Steven Pifer and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash took questions in this week’s edition of the Scouting Report.
May 13, 2009
As soon as President Obama sent his detailed budget to Capitol Hill early May, political battles erupted over spending increases, proposed cuts and the increasing load of debt and deficits. Brookings expert Isabel Sawhill took questions on the hard budget choices and consequences with moderator Fred Barbash, Politico senior editor, in this edition of The Scouting Report.
May 6, 2009
This Wednesday, President Obama met with the leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Brookings expert Vanda Felbab-Brown and Politico Senior Editor John Ward Anderson took questions about the deepening crisis in those nations in the May 6 edition of the Scouting Report.
April 29, 2009
President Barack Obama marked his first 100 days in office on April 29, a traditional day for pundits, politicians and the public to assess a new presidency. Politico senior editor John Anderson moderates a live chat with Brookings Vice President Darrell West marking President Obama's first 100 days in office. Politico senior editor John Anderson moderated a live chat with Brookings Vice President Darrell West marking President Obama's first 100 days in office.
April 22, 2009
Earth Day is an opportunity to discuss global environmental issues including climate change, conservation and sustainable development. On April 22, Brookings expert Bryan Mignone and Fred Barbash, senior editor of Politico, took your questions in a live web chat.
April 15, 2009
On tax day in the United States, Leonard Burman, director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, took questions about what the Obama administration should do to create a fair and equitable tax system during an online web chat moderated by Politico Senior Editor Fred Barbash.
April 8, 2009
The Obama administration faces any number of challenges in Latin America, from Cuba to Colombia, from Bolivia to Venezuela. Mauricio Cárdenas previewed the upcoming Summit of the Americas and took your questions on U.S. policy in the region during a live web chat with Politico's Fred Barbash.
April 1, 2009
During his trip to Europe this week, President Obama will attend the NATO Summit where leaders will celebrate its 60th anniversary. Brookings expert Steven Pifer and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash previewed the summit and analyzed what Obama wants to accomplish in Europe in this week's web chat.
March 25, 2009
Brookings expert Elizabeth Ferris and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash took questions about humanitarian issues in Iraq and Darfur as well as the ICC's arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omara Hassan al-Bashir in this week’s edition of the Scouting Report.
March 18, 2009
More than halfway through his first 100 days, President Barack Obama has already tackled a multitude of foreign and domestic policy challenges, from the economy to education to the military to healthcare to energy. Brookings expert Darrell West and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash examined the first sixty days of the Obama Administration in an online chat.
March 11, 2009
Traditionally, according to economists, when the U.S. economy catches a cold, the Mexican economy catches pneumonia. Brookings expert Leonardo Martinez-Diaz and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash examined the problems plaguing the Mexican economy and potential policy solutions in an onlin chat.
March 4, 2009
President Obama has sent a bold new budget blueprint to Congress, asking for a new, multibillion-dollar health care fund and more money for bank bailouts as needed—and for the first time accounting for the costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Brookings expert Barry Bosworth and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash took questions in this week’s edition of the Scouting Report.
February 25, 2009
The stakes are high as President Obama makes his first address to a joint session of Congress, with the nation looking for leadership at a time of tremendous economic uncertainty. Brookings expert Bill Galston and Politico Senior Editor Fred Barbash conducted a live web chat to assess the impact of the speech.