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US President Donald Trump (2R) looks on as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (2L) speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela, at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026.

Making sense of the US military operation in Venezuela

Scott R. Anderson, Alex Brockwehl, Marcela Escobari, Vanda Felbab-Brown, Samantha Gross, Michael E. O’Hanlon, Ted Piccone, Elizabeth N. Saunders, Caitlin Talmadge, David G. Victor, Valerie Wirtschafter, Kelebogile Zvobgo

January 5, 2026

Upcoming Event

January 08

2026

What Maduro’s ouster means for global security

Online Only

Thursday, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm EST

When a postmark no longer tracks mailing

Elena Patel

December 30, 2025

U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order classifying fentanyl as a "weapon of mass destruction," during a ceremony for the presentation of the Mexican Border Defense Medal in the Oval Office of the White House on December 15, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Will designating fentanyl as a WMD misfire?

Vanda Felbab-Brown

December 19, 2025

Washington, US, March 2023: flags of the Federal Reserve and the United States waving with the Eccles Building in the background.

Why is the Federal Reserve independent, and what does that mean in practice?

David Wessel

December 12, 2025

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Brookings expert Landry Signe' at the World Bank/IMF Spring meetings in April 2024

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U.S. Economic Growth & Prosperity

Portrait of mother shopping in supermarket with little daughter and buying vegetables

Economic Indicators In every corner of the country, the middle class struggles with affordability

Hannah Stephens, Andre M. Perry

Billboard sign reading "Now hiring, apply online, hire bonus."

Federal Fiscal & Tax Policy The soon-to-expire Work Opportunity Tax Credit has not been working

Adam Looney, Elena Patel

WASHINGTON DC - MAY, 6, 2018: Georgetown shopping district along M Street. M street hosts a large variety of shops from indie to home design, high-end boutiques and national and international retail.

Cities & Communities Consumer spending and visitor demand in the Washington, DC region are dropping

Tracy Hadden Loh, Glencora Haskins

Economic Indicators A taxonomy of supply shocks and their effects on inflation

Wendy Edelberg

See more on U.S. Economy

Data Centers & Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Cooling towers for an AI high-performance computing (HPC) data center.

Infrastructure AI, data centers, and water

Joseph W. Kane

A person working on the construction site of a data center, with scaffolding, a ladder, and equipment in the fore and background.

Climate & Energy The future of data centers

Nicol Turner Lee, Darrell M. West

Window signs seen in Tucker County, West Virginia

Cities & Communities Will a data center be good for Thomas and Davis in Tucker County, West Virginia?

Anthony F. Pipa

A group of vintage figures ride a circular machine, symbolising the endless, repetitive cycle of algorithmic scrolling and shallow interactions.

Social Media How will bans on social media affect children?

Nicol Turner Lee, Josie Stewart, Carolina Oxenstierna

See more on Artificial Intelligence

Russia & Ukraine

A torn but flying Ukrainian flag is seen along a road in the Donetsk region.

International Affairs Behind the negotiating table to end the Russia-Ukraine war

Fiona Hill, Thomas Wright

People walk near a building hit during a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the frontline city of Kherson, Ukraine, November 11, 2025.

Ukraine Positive developments for Ukraine in a time of challenge

Steven Pifer

A man walks in the city centre, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, November 26, 2025.

Ukraine War, peace, and corruption in embattled Ukraine

Mariana Budjeryn

Customers use camera flashes in a supermarket during a power outage in Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 27, 2024.

Ukraine Ukraine’s energy sector is a key battleground in the war with Russia

Maciej Zaniewicz, Danylo Moiseienko

See more on Russia and Ukraine

Defense & Security

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks regarding the Administration's National Security Strategy at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington D.C, U.S., December 18, 2017.

Defense & Security Breaking down Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy

Scott R. Anderson, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, Pavel K. Baev, Vanda Felbab-Brown, Daniel S. Hamilton, Kari Heerman, Mara Karlin, Patricia M. Kim, Lynn Kuok, Michael E. O’Hanlon, Steven Pifer, Stephanie K. Pell, Landry Signé, Melanie W. Sisson, Constanze Stelzenmüller, Caitlin Talmadge, Tara Varma, Valerie Wirtschafter, Andrew Yeo