Brookings Today, 1/8/15

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

• The Charlie Hebdo attack. Brookings experts continue to offer their analysis and commentary on the terrorist attack in Paris:
  • Bruce Riedel puts the attack into the context of the ideological war within the global jihadist movement.
  • Jonathan Laurence discusses how the attack and the aftermath could bolster France’s far right National Front party. 
  • H.A. Hellyer argues that we must not let the extremist ideology succeed at their aims, including sacrificing civil liberties.
• Will Obama Republicans matter? Elaine Kamarck explores whether the 51 Republican House members representing districts that President Obama won in 2012, or narrowly lost to Mitt Romney, will “prove to be a counter-weight to the Tea Party members of the Republican caucus.” 
• The case for annual education testing. Brown Center on Education Policy experts make the case on how the new Congress should reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
• Bolstering export finance. Kati Suominen and Jessica Lee challenges and opportunities for states to help small- and medium-sized enterprises access export financing.
• Are Americans ready to go to war against ISIL? Shibley Telhami presents his new polling data on whether the American public is prepared to fight ISIL.
• Marijuana policy in 2015. John Hudak discusses eight issues to watch in marijuana policy this year.
• Ebola and African health systems. Vera Songwe discusses the effects of last year’s Ebola outbreak on African societies and economies.
• Weight and social mobility. Joanna Venator and Richard Reeves, noting that childhood obesity is more common among low-income children and those with less-educated parents, examine the class gaps in obesity and how these relate to social mobility.