Brookings Today, 7/2/14

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

• Putin’s groundless fears over NATO. Steven Pifer dispels Vladimir Putin’s fear of NATO, citing Putin’s extrapolation that NATO enlargement is targeted at Ukraine.

• What would a disintegrated Iraq look like? asks John McLaughlin, considering the regional and sectarian politics of the country.

• Expanding women’s opportunities. Joanna Venator and Richard Reeves consider policies to expand women’s opportunities, suggesting guaranteed paid leave to both parents to encourage fathers to take on child care.

• The implications of Ethiopia’s sovereign credit rating. Temesgen Deressa and Amadou Sy discuss whether Ethiopia’s new sovereign credit rating will increase foreign investment.

• The need for a next generation of infrastructure workers. Joseph Kane and Robert Puentes suggest prioritizing physical infrastructure investments.

• Is the filibuster rule change behind an increase in judicial confirmation? Russell Wheeler asks whether the increase in judicial confirmations is due to the change in the filibuster rule.

Elina Saxena contributed to this post.