Baker Briefing

24: America’s Youth Mental Health Crisis

Young people in the U.S. face an unprecedented mental health crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated rates of depression, anxiety and suicide among adolescents that were already at historically high levels before the pandemic. Since 2020, mental health-related emergency room visits have increased 31% among adolescents while suicide rates among teenagers increased 25%. President Biden acknowledged the severity of this crisis when he introduced a national, five-year initiative to tackle the nation’s mental health crisis. This conversation will explore how the mental health community is overcoming barriers to treatment and the state of federal, state, and local policy interventions. Discussants: Edward M. Emmett, Fellow in Energy and Transportation Policy, Baker Institute Rola El-Serag, M.D., L.E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health Policy, Director of the Center for Health & Biosciences, Baker Institute for Public Policy Lilian Dindo, Ph.D., Nonresident Fellow, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine; Research Health Scientist, Houston Michael Debakey VA Medical Center; Licensed clinical psychologist. Jan Lindsay, Ph.D., Nonresident Fellow, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Licensed Psychologist, Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine; and Co-Director of the South Central Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center

23: How Child Labor Laws Are Failing Migrant Children

Child labor laws are failing migrant children. As children from Latin America migrate to the United States in record numbers, many are ending up in dangerous jobs that violate child labor legislation. What steps are needed to ensure that vulnerable migrant children are protected from exploitation? Discussants: Edward M. Emmett, Fellow in Energy and Transportation Policy, Baker Institute Tony Payan, Ph.D., Françoise and Edward Djerejian Fellow for Mexico Studies; Director, Center for the United States and Mexico, Baker Institute Luz Garcini, Ph.D., MPH, Rice Faculty Scholar, Baker Institute; Assistant Professor, Department of Psychological Sciences, Rice University

22: Latin American Energy and Politics

 Latin America represents the largest energy resource base outside of the Middle East. The region’s vast energy resources — including significant crude oil and natural gas resources — and its unique political landscape make Latin America a significant player that could shift the geopolitical weight from the east to the west.   Discussants:  Edward M. Emmett, Fellow in Energy and Transportation Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy Mark P. Jones, PhD, Fellow in Political Science, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies and Professor, Department of Political Science, Rice University Francisco Monaldi, PhD, Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy  

21: A Microcosm of America’s Demographic Future

Houston is the most ethnically diverse city in the U.S. It has been called a “microcosm of America’s future” based on its changing economic, demographic, and cultural landscapes. It is also home to the Kinder Houston Area Survey — the nation’s longest-running metropolitan study of its kind. The annual survey reveals the attitudes, concerns, and priorities of Houstonians — including how they change over time.  In 2023, the survey revealed that Houston’s optimism remained strong, though concerns about economic equity and housing costs were prevalent. Here, we discuss these and other findings from the 42nd annual Houston Area Survey, which was released this week by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. This episode was recorded on May 17, 2023.  Discussants:  Edward M. Emmett, Fellow in Energy and Transportation Policy, Baker Institute for Public Policy Ruth López Turley, PhD, Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research; Professor, Department of Sociology, Rice University Daniel Potter, Senior Director of Research, Kinder Institute for Urban Research; Rice University See the 2023 Kinder Houston Area Survey: https://kinder.rice.edu/research/kinder-houston-area-survey-2023-results  

20: Turkey’s Dramatic Presidential Election

The world is closely watching the presidential elections in Turkey — particularly the dynamic between incumbent President Recap Tayyip Erdogan and his main challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu. The election has been called the most consequential in Turkey since 1950. Former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey David M. Satterfield speaks with Aslı Aydıntaşbaş of the Brookings Institute and Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute to unpack the political drama in Turkey’s election and its implications for the world.  This conversation was recorded on May 11, 2023.  Discussants: The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy; Former US Ambassador to Turkey (2019-2023) Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, Visiting Fellow, Center on the United States and Europe, Brookings Institute; Global Opinions Columnist, The Washington Post; Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations Soner Cagaptay, Beyer Family Fellow and Director of the Turkish Research Program, The Washington Institute

19: The US-Israel Relationship, 75 Years In

It has been 75 years since the passage of United Nations Resolution 181, which called for the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states. In this episode, scholar Walter Russell Mead offers observations on the past, present, and future of the US-Israeli relationship. These remarks were delivered as the closing session at the “Israel @ 75” conference hosted by the Baker Institute on April 27, 2023.  Discussants:  The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy Walter Russell Mead, Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship, Hudson Institute; Global View Columnist, The Wall Street Journal; James Clarke Chace Professor of Foreign Affairs and Humanities, Bard College in New York; Author of "Arc of a Covenant"  For more, watch additional discussions from the Baker Institute’s “Israel @ 75” conference on April 27, 2023.   

18: How Peace Was Achieved and Sustained in Northern Ireland

The Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, brought an end to almost 30 years of conflict in Ireland. This peace accord was the result of intense work and negotiations by the British and Irish governments — as well as politicians and other stakeholders from Northern Ireland and the U.S.   This conversation brought together political and civic actors from Northern Ireland to reflect on the Good Friday agreement, discuss the state of Northern Ireland today, and explore what the future holds amid the United Kingdom’s recent departure from the European Union. This event was co-presented with the Consulate General of Ireland in Austin, Texas. Discussants: The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute; Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy Bronagh Hinds, Participant in 1996-98 Good Friday Agreement negotiations for the Women’s Coalition Emma Johnston, Young Women’s Development Worker for the North West, Youth Action Northern Ireland Jarlath Kearney, Commissioner on the Northern Ireland Equality Commission Mike Nesbitt, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Northern Ireland    

17: A US Diplomat’s Perspective on Russia

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his war against Ukraine, leaving in its wake 18,000 civilian casualties and eight million people who fled the country. Ambassador John F. Tefft, former Ambassador to Russia (2014-2017) and Ambassador David M. Satterfield, Director of the Baker Institute, reflect on the events that have transpired in the past year and what the future might hold for the Russia-Ukraine war. This episode was recorded on March 8, 2023. Discussants: The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy The Honorable John F. Tefft, Former United States Ambassador to Russia (2014-217), Ukraine (2009-2013), Georgia (2005-2009), and Lithuania (2000-2003)

16: Is Texas the Next Hydrogen Hub?

As greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise across the US, policymakers are looking to expand low carbon energy options — notably hydrogen. Dr. Ken Medlock, director of the Center for Energy Studies, discusses the potential for Texas to become a hydrogen hub.  Discussants:  The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy Kenneth B. Medlock, III, PhD, James A. Baker, III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics, Baker Institute for Public Policy For more on this topic, read the Baker Institute’s recent report, Developing a Robust Hydrogen Market in Texas.

15: The Future of Lebanon

Lebanon has faced years of political instability and a worsening economic crisis. Mark Daou, Member of Parliament in Lebanon, recently visited the Baker Institute to discuss the country’s ongoing political challenges. MP Daou discusses how the international community can respond and offers his perspective on a "new start" for Lebanon. This conversation was recorded in Houston, Texas on February 15, 2023. Discussants:  The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy; and MP Mark Daou, Member of Parliament, Lebanon; Founder & CEO, RPR.