Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy

🌎 How can U.S. trade policy adapt to today’s global challenges? Join us next week for an event on the current challenges facing U.S. trade policy, building on insights from the 2023 book, “The Future of Trade: A North American Perspective.” Experts will focus on the impacts of this year’s elections in the U.S. and Mexico, while also outlining the domestic and foreign trade policy recommendations offered in the volume. This event is sponsored by the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico and is made possible thanks to a grant from the Charles Koch Foundation. It is free and open to the public. Register below: https://bit.ly/3Swy08i

The TN visa program, established 30 years ago, enables skilled professionals from Canada and Mexico to work in the United States. In a new paper from the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico, Kevin Shih, an associate professor of economics at the University of California, Riverside, uses an innovative approach to measure TN workers’ presence in the United States, revealing key insights into their labor market impact and demographics. https://bit.ly/3MGOOWZ

🏭 Among oil and gas executives, there’s a strong sense that Democratic presidential nominee #KamalaHarris represents “an existential threat to the status quo” for their industry, says fellow Mark P. Jones. Industry members like Kelcy Warren, co-founder of Energy Transfer, are donating to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in an effort to reelect the former president — and, they hope, yield a more favorable legal and regulatory environment for their companies. “In Warren’s ideal world, United States is like Texas,” says Jones. “In his nightmare world, it’s like California.” Read more in E&E News: https://bit.ly/4dPgzbC

📖 On Sept. 17, we will host distinguished American foreign policy expert Michael Mandelbaum to delve into the themes and revelations of his new book, “The Titans of the Twentieth Century: How They Made History and the History They Made.” With Director David M. Satterfield, their conversation will examine the lives and legacies of pivotal figures of the 20th century, offering perspectives on ways these influential leaders shaped the modern world. This event is part of our Director’s Lecture Series, and it is free and open to the public. Register below: https://bit.ly/3X9kYAb

💸 A health care price transparency bill introduced in the U.S. Senate last December would allow employers and consumers to shop for better health care prices and potentially lower the cost of health insurance, says Vivian Ho, a fellow at the Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences. A letter that Ho and other economists sent to senators on Monday says the cost savings would invigorate the economy. “A large portion of middle-class wealth in America is just locked up in hospital cash reserves,” said Ho. https://bit.ly/3XkhiKX.

ICYMI: With high entrepreneurship and startup rates, Latino immigrants are key contributors to U.S. economic development. In a new report for the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico, nonresident fellow Elizabeth Salamanca Pacheco explains how their skills and expertise are integral to innovative startups that often evolve in binational businesses, operating in both the U.S. and Mexico. Read more: https://bit.ly/3MFtb9o

🚨 Last chance to register! This Friday, join us for an event on the history and future of stem cell therapy for cardiac care. At this event, two physician-scientists will review the advances in stem cell research for cardiac care over the last two decades, highlighting key policy and ethical concerns moving forward. The event is co-sponsored by the Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences and The Texas Heart Institute. It will be held at James A. Baker III Hall and livestreamed on the Baker Institute website. 📅 Sept. 13 | 7:30 am CDT Attend in person or watch online: https://bit.ly/3Ltj2Mw

Why are normalization talks happening between Turkey’s leading political parties? In a new Edward P. Djerejian Center for the Middle East brief, nonresident fellow A.Kadir Yildirim provides background and insights into why Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has taken this step after years of political polarization. Read more: https://bit.ly/3TpZNaN

With the US presidential race in full swing, we hosted a timely conversation with two of the nation’s leading journalists covering the election. Peter Baker of The New York Times and Susan Glasser of The New Yorker visited Rice University's Baker Institute for a profound discussion on the implications of the 2024 US presidential election. Their expert analysis and engaging dialogue offered valuable perspectives on the current political landscape. 🇺🇸🗳️ #BakerInstitute #Election2024 #PoliticalAnalysis #NYTimes #TheNewYorker #RiceUniversity #ThoughtLeadership

📖 The brain economy is an emerging economic transition approach that asserts that brain health — both individually and collectively — is a meaningful driver of economic growth, write Andy Moose, Kana Enomoto, and Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences senior fellow Harris Eyre MD PhD. Their new report for the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute explores the global economic cost of brain disorders and how we can scale existing interventions to unlock the benefits of better #BrainHealth. Read: https://bit.ly/3XDQGpK. Harris is also co-organizing #BrainDays at #UNGA79, hosted by the United Nations General Assembly Science Summit in New York on Sept. 18-20. Key stakeholders from across the brain community – patients, scientists, clinicians, policymakers, industry leaders, and economists — will discuss research on brain health and how to place it at the top of global policy agendas. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3MGUyzM.