Brookings Insights

Welcome to our first edition of Brookings Insights! Each month, we'll bring you a roundup of great work from experts across the Brookings Institution, including issue explainers, in-depth research, podcast episodes, and more.

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Take a journey into the heart of rural America

Hit the road with Tony Pipa on a new season of the Reimagine Rural podcast! Through illuminating conversations with local leaders, Pipa explores the transformative shifts, underlying challenges, and intricate nuances shaping rural development today.

This season covers the revitalization of manufacturing, innovative approaches to housing, the expansion of broadband connectivity, and more.

Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple, our website, or your preferred listening platform.

Lessons to guide place-based economic policy

Place-based economic policy is having a moment in the United States. In a series of case studies, Brookings Metro assesses how the $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge is going so far.

Explore the full report to learn about West Virginia’s clean energy transition, the evolution of Detroit’s automotive sector, inclusive and sustainable agriculture in California, and innovative projects in other regions.

What’s the latest on the US election?

Tonight, U.S. presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump will face off in their first 2024 debate. Experts from our Governance Studies program are following key developments in the contest.

Read what they have to say about the candidates moving away from the Commission on Presidential Debates, North Carolina’s emergence as a swing state, the dangers of “faithless” electors, what national polling misses about Latino voters, and how Trump may pick his running mate.

For more analysis of important issues shaping the U.S. election, see our Election ’24 initiative.

The rise of Russian state media on TikTok

Russia’s propaganda apparatus is using TikTok as a new avenue for disseminating overt Kremlin messaging. While Russian state-affiliated accounts are far more active on other online platforms, engagement per post on TikTok is much higher.

Valerie Wirtschafter sheds light on Russia’s TikTok experiment and breaks down the risks facing the United States.

Why did schools lose students after COVID-19?

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are still being felt in school attendance and enrollment. The share of U.S. students attending traditional public schools remains 4 percentage points below 2019-20.

Sofoklis Goulas and Isabelle Pula investigate COVID-19’s effects on school enrollment, how homeschooling factors in, and what it all means for public schools.

Analyzing the impacts of global events

Our foreign policy and global development scholars offered expert analysis of events that shifted international affairs, including the inauguration of William Lai as Taiwan’s next president, the resignation of Israeli minister Benny Gantz, the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the newly signed Russia-North Korea security pact, the EU parliamentary elections, and Sudan's deepening humanitarian catastrophe.

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Need a new podcast for your commute? The Brookings Podcast Network offers shows to keep your informed about a variety of policy issues and topics.