We're closing up the Brookings event podcast feed. Brookings event audio, video, and transcripts will remain available on our website at brookings.edu/events, and also on our YouTube channel.

You can find out more about other Brookings podcasts at brookings.edu/podcasts or look for us on your favorite podcast app.

Thanks for listening.

On Wednesday, February 16, Brookings Metro hosted an event to assess the state of Black businesses in metropolitan areas across the country, in collaboration with the Path to 15|55 initiative, which endeavors to grow the percentage of Black-owned employer firms. Senior Fellow Andre Perry presented findings from a forthcoming Brookings report, “Black-owned businesses in U.S. cities: The challenges, solutions, and opportunities for prosperity,” and an expert panel explored policy solutions that can build upon the recent rise of small, Black-owned firms and make structural changes that will enable the economy to work for entrepreneurs of all races.

Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On February 15, Governance Studies at Brookings hosted a fireside chat with Representative Raskin and Brookings President John R. Allen to talk about his new book and the future of American democracy. Following their conversation, a panel of Brookings scholars discussed the most urgent threats to democracy and identify steps that must be taken to ensure its stability for future generations.

Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On February 14, 2022, the Brookings Center on Regulation and Markets hosted a fireside chat with Superintendent Harris to explore her vision and agenda as Superintendent of New York DFS, a role that has implications across New York State, America, and the world. Brookings Senior Fellow Aaron Klein asked Superintendent Harris about her priorities; areas of emphasis; and her views on regulation, supervision, and state and federal roles in financial regulation. The conversation spanned the superintendent’s broad jurisdiction and important financial issues she will face, including the role of financial technology, crypto currency, and consumer protection.

Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq have long had a complex relationship, at times vying for positions of leadership in the Arab World and often closely influenced by each country’s stance toward other powers, notably Iran. After tense relations following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, the relationship became closely tied to Iranian influence in Iraqi affairs after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Today, both countries have taken steps to improve bilateral relations, which remains crucial for the regional order and for Iraqi domestic politics.

On February 9, the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings hosted an event to discuss this important relationship and its implications for American interests.

Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On February 8, as part of our celebration of Black History Month, the Brookings Institution hosted a webinar focusing on an inclusive public policy agenda for Black Americans. Brookings scholars assessed the president’s progress on his campaign promises and discussed topics such as access to quality health care, housing, jobs, and education, police and criminal justice reform, reparations for Black Americans, and voting rights.

Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

On February 7, the Brookings Institution hosted an event marking the launch of a new book by Brookings Rubenstein Fellow Tara Watson and journalist Kalee Thompson, “The Border Within: The Economics of Immigration in an Age of Fear.” In the book, Watson and Thompson assess immigration’s effects on every aspect of American life, combining empirical social science research and rigorous analysis with personal stories from immigrants and their families. The event featured a presentation from the authors followed by a panel discussion among experts on immigration policy.

Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.

Nearly two decades since the U.S. invasion of Iraq, democratic consolidation is still elusive. From the start, the revival of civil society and NGOs in Iraq was promoted as a means of sustaining democracy through social capital. However, even in areas that enjoyed stability, homogeneity, and prosperity, the political environment has been fraught with public anger and protest. What role has Iraqi civil society played in the path towards democratization and how has it developed? What is the relationship between civil society and democracy in Iraq? Can the U.S. today support democratization through civil society?

On February 7, the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings convened a panel to discuss these questions and the related themes explored in the recently published report, "Postwar development of civil society in Iraq’s mid-Euphrates region", written by Marsin Alshamary.

Subscribe to Brookings Events on iTunes, send feedback email to events@brookings.edu, and follow us and tweet us at @policypodcasts on Twitter. To learn more about upcoming events, visit our website. Brookings Events is part of the Brookings Podcast Network.