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The administration has detained 400,000 immigrants: What do we know about their children?

Maria Cancian, Nissi Cantu, Lanikque Howard, Tara Watson

May 18, 2026

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - MAY 15: U.S. President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One on May 15, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. President Trump is returning to Washington from his trip to China, where he and President Xi addressed ways to enhance bilateral economic cooperation and investment, and agreed that Iran should not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Trump’s dangerous Taiwan gamble

Ryan Hass

May 16, 2026

Gas prices are displayed at a Chevron gas station on May 11, 2026 in Pasadena, California.

The Iran war is making energy more expensive for everyone

Samantha Gross, Adie Tomer

May 13, 2026

Is it time to measure cognitive stunting?

Rebecca Winthrop

May 19, 2026

Stickers are placed out for voters at Greater Mount Moriah Primitive Baptist Church, Mecklenburg County Precinct 11, after casting their ballot in the 2026 Primary Election on March 3, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. If former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, who is endorsed by President Trump, wins the primary, he'll face former Governor Roy Cooper in the general election.

Intraparty tensions shape the 2026 midterm primary landscape

Elaine Kamarck

May 12, 2026

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

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China

Diplomacy & Multilateralism What will happen when Trump meets Xi?

Richard C. Bush, Kyle Chan, Jonathan A. Czin, Vanda Felbab-Brown, Ryan Hass, Yingyi Ma, Scott M. Moore, Michael E. O’Hanlon, Susan A. Thornton +4 more

People stand next to a humanoid robot from Unitree Robotics during the Global Developer Conference, organized by the Shanghai AI Industry Association, in Shanghai on February 21, 2025.

Artificial Intelligence Can the US and China cooperate on AI?

Kyle Chan, Ryan Hass

Pedestrians walk past a screen showing the Shanghai composite index in the Jing'an district of Shanghai on March 2, 2026.

China Beijing’s approach to the conflict in Iran and its implications for China

Ryan Hass, Patricia M. Kim, Yun Sun, Dennis Wilder, Thomas Wright

Illustration showing profiles of U.S. President Donald Trump and China President Xi Jinping in front of their countries' respective flags

International Affairs What does China want from a Trump-Xi summit?

Kyle Chan, Jonathan A. Czin, Ryan Hass, Patricia M. Kim

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Climate & Energy

MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 13: Fuel prices are displayed on a sign as customers fill their vehicles at a gas station on April 13, 2026 in Miami, Florida. As the United States military blockades the Strait of Hormuz fuel prices rose above $100 dollars a barrel. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Transportation Another oil crisis is here. How will American drivers respond?

Adie Tomer, Ben Swedberg

Climate & Energy Project-based carbon credit markets: Overview, issues, and future directions

Derik Broekhoff, Aidan Conley, Sanjay Patnaik

This picture taken at sunset on November 12, 2025 shows wind turbines and power poles as fumes rise from the cooling towers of the lignite-fired power station operated by German energy giant RWE near Neurath, western Germany.

Energy Security System integration: The key to Europe’s energy trilemma

Samantha Gross, Constanze Stelzenmüller

Cars drive past Moscone Center North Hall under a skybridge, surrounded by GDC, Game Developers Conference banners and green bike lanes - San Francisco, California, USA - March 15, 2025

Transportation Why more states are passing laws to help people drive less

Riley Sandhop, Ben Swedberg, Adie Tomer

See more on Climate & Energy

Iran

Middle East & North Africa Water, not oil, is the Middle East’s most precious commodity

Scott M. Moore

Large oil tankers berthed at the Port of Mutrah in Muscat, as regional tensions in the Strait of Hormuz raise concerns over global oil supply disruption and energy market instability.

Energy Industry The Iran conflict’s energy shocks are not yet fully realized

Samantha Gross

Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reza Najafi attends the special meeting on Iran, initiated by Russia, prior to the IAEA's Board of Governors meeting at the agency's headquarters in Vienna, Austria on March 2, 2026.

Arms Control & Nonproliferation Avoid any temporary deal on Iran’s nukes

Michael E. O’Hanlon

A woman displays an AI-generated image of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, in an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military uniform on her cellphone screen during a pro-government rally in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 6, 2026.

Artificial Intelligence Generative AI as a weapon of war in Iran

Valerie Wirtschafter

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2026 Midterm Elections

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 15: An activist holds a U.S. flag during a rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 15, 2025. The Supreme Court heard oral arguments that day in Louisiana v. Callais, a major case concerning a congressional map that created a second majority-Black district in Louisiana.

Campaigns & Elections Supreme Court decision alters 2026 midterm election outlook

William A. Galston, Elaine Kamarck, Jordan Muchnick

The U.S.-Mexico border wall is seen on the outskirts of Eagle Pass, Texas, on February 19, 2026.

Immigrants & Immigration How 2026’s divisive immigration politics could lead to a solution down the road

E.J. Dionne, Jr.

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: A customer shops in a grocery store on March 11, 2026 in Miami, Florida. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data that was released the consumer price index increased seasonally adjusted 0.3% for the month, putting the 12-month inflation rate at 2.4%.

U.S. Economy Why affordability will be a key issue in the 2026 midterm elections

William A. Galston

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 03: U.S. Representatives of the 119th Congress are sworn in during the first day of session in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol on January 3, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Congress House retirement wave signals deep institutional frustration

Abby Ward, Molly E. Reynolds

See more on the 2026 Midterm Elections

U.S. Economy

EAST LOS ANGELES, CA, U.S.A. - SEPT. 2, 2023: Photo of two men walking past businesses with painted facades on First Street in Boyle Heights, the heart of Chicano Los Angeles.

Small Business & Entrepreneurship From policy volatility to stability and growth: Rebuilding the foundations for Latino entrepreneurs and small businesses

Tonantzin Carmona

FILE PHOTO: Kevin Warsh, U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be next chair of the Federal Reserve, testifies before a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 21, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

Economic Indicators What are trimmed mean and median inflation rates? And why does Kevin Warsh prefer them?

Andrew Rosin, David Wessel

Federal Fiscal & Tax Policy Can taxes alone fix long-term deficits?

Jessica Riedl

U.S. Economy Why is spending on health care slowing?

David M. Cutler, Janice C. Eberly, Richard G. Frank, Lev Klarnet, Jón Steinsson

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Upcoming Events

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May 26

2026

Mexico High wire: The Sheinbaum administration and the future of US-Mexico relations

Online Only

Tuesday, 10:00 am - 11:15 am EDT

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May 26

2026

Technology Policy & Regulation AI companion bots as a public health issue: A new framework for regulation

Online only

Tuesday, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm EDT

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May 28

2026

Climate Policy Project-based carbon credits: Regulatory and market reforms

The Brookings Institution, Washington D.C.

Thursday, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm EDT

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Advancing ideas that matter

Brookings’ scholarly research educates the public and informs decisionmakers on complex policy challenges.

Quality research

Independent analysis

Lasting impact

China

Climate & Energy

Iran

Brookings Brief

Brookings Podcast Network

2026 Midterm Elections

U.S. Economy

Upcoming Events