Baker Briefing

84: An Uncertain Future for Humanitarian Aid

The Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and aid budget cuts in the U.K., France, and other Western countries present a stark turning point for the international humanitarian aid system.   Sonali Korde, the Baker Institute’s MD Anderson Visiting Fellow and the former assistant to the administrator of the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance at USAID, joined Ambassador David M. Satterfield to explore the far-reaching implications of these shifts, as well as the past role of foreign aid in promoting U.S. interests — and the challenge of justifying such aid domestically.   This conversation was recorded in front of a live studio audience on April 8, 2025.   Follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

83: The Truth About … the Misinformation Fueling the Measles Outbreak

Measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, meaning it was stopped from spreading freely. But that’s no longer the case. By April 2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported more than 480 cases nationwide and one death in 2025.   Meanwhile, social media and podcasting platforms are rife with misinformation about the severity of the virus and the development, efficacy, and side effects of vaccines, helping drive vaccination rates in the U.S. ever lower. The result: a rapidly spreading measles outbreak and a threat to the hard-won public health gains made possible from decades of vaccination.   So how exactly did we get here, and what do we do now?   Dr. Peter Hotez, a Baker Institute fellow, vaccine scientist, physician, and public health advocate, joined Director David M. Satterfield to discuss the causes and consequences of the West Texas outbreak at a March 26 Baker Institute event. Their conversation has been condensed for this episode of “Baker Briefing.”   (You can watch the full conversation here: https://bit.ly/3R7iVJi.)   Follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

82: How Risky Is Gain-of-Function Research, Really?

Debates around gain-of-function research, which genetically alters an organism to give it new functions, became highly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic, when public figures began to speculate that the virus responsible was created through gain-of-function experiments in Wuhan, China.   But many scientists maintain that this kind of research helps us to understand and respond to emerging viral threats, like the H5N1 virus, or bird flu. So just how important is gain-of-function research, and what oversight mechanisms are in place to reduce the hazards that yet other scientists say make these experiments too risky?   The Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program’s Kirstin R.W. Matthews and Alicia L. Johnson and Rice University biosciences professor Yousif Shamoo joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss the risks, benefits, and guardrails surrounding gain-of-function research — and why federal budget cuts and layoffs will make the endeavor less secure.   This episode was recorded on March 20, 2025.   Follow @BakerInstitute on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and learn more about our data-driven, nonpartisan policy research and analysis at bakerinstitute.org.

81: Houston’s Schools Face an Enrollment Paradox. What Now?

Like other urban districts around the country, Houston Independent School District (HISD) has seen enrollment drop significantly over the past decade. But while the district’s schools are under capacity overall, with an average campus utilization rate of 77%, some of its campuses are meanwhile facing a paradoxical challenge: overcrowding.   Bill King, co-author of a recent Center for Tax and Budget Policy report on disparities in HISD campus utilization, and Erin Baumgartner, director of the Houston Education Research Consortium at Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Policy, joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to explore what’s causing the imbalance, how the state’s proposed school voucher legislation could factor in, and paths forward for HISD. This conversation was recorded on March 18, 2025. Read the report from King and co-authors Joyce Beebe and John Diamond: https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/disparities-houston-school-campus-utilization

80: Rethinking Climate Migration: Agency and Adaptability

The climate crisis is driving more and more people around the world to leave their homes and communities, often permanently. This isn’t an issue for the distant future: 26.4 million displacements related to natural disasters and slow-onset events like drought and sea-level rise were recorded around the world in 2023 alone. Julia Blocher, a project lead at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and a visiting scholar at the Baker Institute this spring, joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss the phenomenon of climate migration around the world and in the United States. Together, Blocher and David M. Satterfield explore the relationship between climate change and migration, the disproportionate impacts for disadvantaged people and marginalized groups, and why it’s important to understand migration as a possible adaptation to the climate crisis. This conversation was recorded on Feb. 18, 2025.

79: What Would School Vouchers Mean for Texas K-12 Education?

School voucher programs — also known as education savings accounts or school choice — allow families to use public funds to pay for private school tuition. They have swept across the U.S. over the past decade, and now the Texas Legislature looks poised to enact a school voucher program of its own.  In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” Ed Emmett sits down with Christopher Kulesza, a scholar in child health policy at the Baker Institute, to break down what a Texas school voucher program might look like and what it could mean for schools and families across the state. For more, read Kulesza’s recent brief: “How to Design a Fiscally Responsible School Choice Program in Texas.”

78: The Politics of Art and Diplomacy

Can art be a tool for diplomacy? How can cultural exchange shape foreign policy? In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” William Luers joins David M. Satterfield to discuss the intersections of art, diplomacy, and international relations. Drawing from his time as a U.S. diplomat in Europe and Latin America and as president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Luers explores how cultural engagement has advanced important dialogue — from the Cold War to contemporary geopolitical challenges. This conversation was recorded in front of a studio audience on Feb. 13, 2025, at an event co-sponsored by Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts.

77: Did Two Decades of Urban Renewal Benefit Small Businesses in Houston’s Third Ward?

Houston’s Third Ward is one of the city’s most historic Black neighborhoods. It’s also the site of longstanding and consequential debates about gentrification and redevelopment. Urban revitalization is meant to spur economic growth and benefit inner-city communities like the Third Ward — but do the changes actually benefit existing small business owners? Economist Alisha Small joined David Satterfield to discuss her research into the impact of urban revitalization efforts on small businesses in Houston’s Third Ward. For more, read Small’s recent working paper: “The Economic Interdependence of the Developed and the Developing: Two Decades of Urban Revitalization and Its Economic Impact on Third Ward Small Businesses.” This conversation was recorded on Jan. 30, 2025.

76: Trump’s ‘America First’ Foreign Policy

Donald Trump entered office promising to be the “America First” president. But what does that mean for U.S. foreign policy? And what challenges and opportunities will Trump and Marco Rubio, his secretary of state, face regarding the Middle East, Ukraine, and the nation’s global alliances? In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” David Satterfield sits down with Elliott Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a veteran foreign policy advisor. Together, they break down the administration’s approach to key geopolitical issues, from Gaza to NATO commitments. This conversation was recorded on Jan. 22, 2025.

75: How Will Trump’s Tariffs Impact American Industry and Consumers?

Since entering office for the second time, President Donald Trump has made clear his intention to impose tariffs on goods imported from Canada, Mexico, and China. What do his tariff plans mean for American industries and consumers — and for our relationships with our largest trading partners?   Baker Institute experts John W. Diamond, Ken Medlock, Tony Payan, and Steven W. Lewis joined the “Baker Briefing” podcast to discuss.   This conversation was recorded in front of a studio audience on Feb. 6, 2025.