Brookings Today, 10/14/14

A roundup of some of the content published today by Brookings.

• Why ISIS wants to enslave a religious minority group. As Islamic State fighters continue to overrun villages in Iraq, William McCants explores their apocalyptic justification for enslaving Yazidi women through their own misogynistic interpretation of Sharia law.
• Worried about your retirement savings? Investing in life annuities can help individuals reach multiple retirement goals. Robert Pozen provides advice on how to not outlive your retirement and smart ways to save.
• Early thoughts from the Millions Learning Project. Jenny Perlman Robinson introduces the Center for Universal Education’s Millions Learning Project, which looks at where and how large-scale improvements in learning have been achieved.
• Europe’s energy dependence on Russia. The authors of a new Brookings report explore Europe’s dependence on Russia for natural gas amid the crisis in Ukraine.
• What the Modi-Obama summit means for climate change. William Antholis highlights positive outcomes for the U.S. and India from the recent Modi-Obama summit on climate and energy policy.
• Twelve ways to rethink the defense budget. Michael O’Hanlon asks whether America’s military is too small for Obama’s new war on terror.
• Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. The Spring 2014 edition of the journal is now available.

Charmaine Crutchfield contributed to this post.