Baker Briefing

16: Why Critical Minerals Matter for U.S. National Security

What are critical minerals, how are they used, and why do they matter for national security? In an era of globalized supply chains, how vulnerable is the United States to disruptions?
Michelle Michot Foss, former fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy, joins Ambassador David M. Satterfield to examine how rare earth elements underpin civilian products, advanced technologies, and military equipment. She also discusses why national security hinges on industrial capacity as much as military strength and outlines potential strategies for securing access to essential materials.
This conversation was recorded on Feb. 9, 2026. 
Featured:
Michelle Michot Foss, Ph.D.
Ambassador David M. Satterfield
Mentioned in this episode:
Gabriel Collins and Michelle Michot Foss, “Critical Minerals and Materials Geoeconomics: Lessons and Ideas From Past Wars and Strategic Competitions,” Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.
 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

15: Did Trump’s Tariffs Work? What the Economic Data Shows

The Trump administration has touted its tariff strategy as a historic economic success, citing record stock market highs, falling trade deficits, and “virtually no inflation.” But what do the numbers actually show? In this episode of “Baker Briefing”, Ambassador David Satterfield sits down with John W. Diamond, director of the Baker Institute’s Center for Tax and Budget Policy, to examine the data behind the administration’s claims. They break down who really pays for the tariffs, what is driving GDP growth, and whether inflation has truly fallen. This conversation offers an objective assessment of how tariffs are reshaping the U.S. economy and who ultimately benefits as a result.
This conversation was recorded on Feb. 10, 2026. 
Featured:
Ambassador David M. Satterfield
John W. Diamond, Ph.D.
Mentioned in this episode:
President Donald J. Trump, “My Tariffs Have Brought America Back,” Wall Street Journal.
“The Two-Handed Economist” podcast, hosted by John W. Diamond. 
Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.
 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

14: Religion and the Battle for Texas Public Schools

Why has the role of religion in Texas public education become one of the most consequential policy battles in the state? What is at stake for religious liberty, church-state separation, and the future of education across the nation?
On the latest episode of the “Texas Briefing” podcast, another Baker Institute podcast, Baker Institute fellow and guest host Michael O. Emerson is joined by David R. Brockman to unpack how faith-based politics, Christian nationalism, and recent legislative actions are reshaping classrooms across Texas. 
This is the second episode in a four-part series, “Between Pulpit and Policy,” exploring the rising influence of faith, particularly Christian nationalism, in Texas politics — and how it’s transforming public policy and governance. The series was produced in partnership with the Baker Institute Student Forum.
This conversation was recorded in front of a live studio audience on Oct. 10, 2025. Learn about future live recordings of the “Texas Briefing” podcast by subscribing to our “Events Digest” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.
Featured:
Michael O. Emerson, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/michael-o-emerson 
David R. Brockman, Ph. D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/david-r-brockman 
Mentioned in this episode:
U.S. Supreme Court, “Kennedy v. Bremerton School District,” 2022 (link).
Texas Senate Bill 10, 89th Leg., R.S., 2025 (PDF).
David Barton, “In Defense of the Ten Commandments,” AFA Journal, The American Family Association, (2003) (link).
Texas Senate Bill 763, 88th Leg., R.S., 2023 (link).
Texas Senate Bill 11, 89th Leg., R.S., 2025 (PDF).
Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.
 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

13: How Sports Shape Diplomacy and Geopolitics Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

This summer, North America is preparing to host the largest FIFA World Cup in history. Seventy-eight matches will be played across 11 American cities, but domestic politics have turned up the heat off the pitch. Questions around immigration policy, security, and global perception have intensified scrutiny of how the tournament may factor into broader U.S. efforts to redefine its international presence. Ambassador David M. Satterfield is joined by Middle East expert Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen to discuss how sports are becoming a tool of diplomacy.
This conversation was recorded in front of a live studio audience on Jan. 22, 2026. Learn about future live recordings of the “Texas Briefing” podcast by subscribing to our “Events Digest” newsletter at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/newsletter.
Featured:
Dr. Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ph.D.
Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.
 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

12: Inside Iran's Unstable Moment

What do Iran’s converging challenges — environmental stress, economic strain, security concerns, and an unresolved nuclear file — signal for the country’s leadership, society, and role in the region? Mohammad Tabaar joined the podcast to discuss the internal and external pressures shaping Iran today, the choices Tehran may face in the months ahead, and what those decisions could mean for regional stability.
This conversation was recorded on Jan. 22, 2026.
Featured:
Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Ph.D.
Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.
 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

11: After Maduro’s Ouster, What Happens to Venezuela’s Oil?

What does the removal of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. military force signal for the future of Venezuela’s oil industry? Francisco Monaldi and Kenneth B. Medlock III joined the podcast to discuss President Donald Trump’s recently released plan for taking over and selling the country’s crude oil, the risks and incentives for U.S. and international oil companies, and the implications for oil flows across Latin America.
This conversation was recorded on Jan. 12, 2026.
Featured guests:
Kenneth B. Medlock III, Ph.D.
Francisco Monaldi, Ph.D.
Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform.
 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

Bonus: Ben Ginsberg on Contested Elections, Then and Now

In this bonus episode, we’re sharing a conversation with Ben Ginsberg, a high-profile elections lawyer and key figure in the 2000 Bush v. Gore litigation, from the elections conference we held last month in partnership with The Carter Center.
Ginsberg joined David Satterfield to discuss that landmark dispute 25 years later. Their conversation also explored contemporary electoral issues in the U.S., from the counting of mail-in ballots to partisan redistricting. 
Our annual co-hosted elections conference is designed to build on the legacy of the 2005 bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by former President Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker, III. Our 2025 conference examined contested elections in the U.S. on the 25th anniversary of the landmark Bush v. Gore decision.
Featured:
Ben Ginsberg, J.D., https://www.hoover.org/profiles/benjamin-ginsberg
Mentioned in this episode:
“25 Years After Bush v. Gore: Contested Elections Then and Now, ” hosted at the Baker Institute on Dec. 8, 2025.
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

10: What the Numbers Say (and Miss) About Trump’s Economy

A year into the second Trump administration, what does the latest data tell us about the U.S. economy, which the president touted in a primetime address last month? And what can the numbers tell us, given changes in how economic data is collected following the government shutdown?
John W. Diamond, director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy and host of “The Two-Handed Economist,” joined the podcast to discuss the latest on inflation and the labor market, the impact of tariffs, and what consumers and investors can expect in 2026.
This conversation was recorded on Dec. 16, 2025.
Featured:
John W. Diamond, Ph.D.
Listen and subscribe to “Baker Briefing” on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform. Learn more about Diamond’s podcast here.
 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

9: Iran Is Recalibrating Its National Identity

Iran is facing a cascade of domestic challenges, including a deepening currency crisis and drought so severe that President Masoud Pezeshkian has suggested residents of the capital city Tehran may need to evacuate. Meanwhile, strain is building over nuclear talks in the aftermath of the 12-day conflict with Israel and the U.S. in June 2025.
Middle East fellow Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss how the regime is managing these pressures — and redefining Iran’s national identity in the process.
Featured guest:
Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/mohammad-ayatollahi-tabaar
This conversation was recorded on Dec. 8, 2025. 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

8: What Happens If the ACA Subsidies Expire?

Without a last-minute extension of enhanced tax credits, Americans who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act will see their premiums spike in January. How did we get here, and why are health care access and affordability such persistent policy challenges? Dr. Heidi Russell and Elena M. Marks joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss what happens when the ACA subsidy enhancements expire and offer insights for moving the U.S. health system forward.
Featured guests:
Elena Marks, MPH, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/elena-m-marks 
Heidi Russell, MD, Ph.D., https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/heidi-russell 
This conversation was recorded on Nov. 20, 2025. 
You can follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.