Weekend Reads: The Robots Are Coming, Brookings Podcast Anniversary, Ending Extreme Poverty

New this week

In a new series on civilian robotics, experts explore legal questions around rapid advances in robotics, including liability issues with driverless cars, human reactions to robots, privacy concerns, and more.

The Brookings Cafeteria podcast celebrated its first birthday earlier this week. Host Fred Dews writes about the “pleasure and challenge” of interviewing 26 Brookings experts on topics such as children’s education in the Arab world, presidential pork, immigration, and more.

Laurence Chandy and Homi Kharas examine progress in the race to end extreme poverty around the globe by 2030.

Adie Tomer and Joseph Kane highlight a Catch-22 in the passenger rail bill now under consideration by the House: Congress blasts Amtrak for its annual losses on long-distance routes, despite the fact that those same routes are required by federal law.

What our experts are reading

Spread word of this report: late-life care is far too often unwanted, counterproductive, and inhumane. (@Jon_Rauch)

Justin Wolfers says Scotland’s ‘No’ vote is a loss for pollsters, but a win for betting markets. (@DavidMWessel)

On the skills imperative in a state rocked by federal cuts: Virginia Governor McAuliffe launches a plan to create jobs and opportunities. (@Bruce_Katz)

Dense but excellent article (PDF) from Mohammad Fadel on whether Islamic notions of gender can be reconciled with liberal democracy. (@ShadiHamid)