Watson School at Brown

As @brown.edu's new policy school, Watson serves as the central home on campus for teaching, research, and public engagement around the world’s most complex policy challenges.

Learn more about the new Watson School of International & Public Affairs: ow.ly/7XKM50WxzBv

Entering a Golden Age for War Profiteers When, in his 1961 farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the dangers of the unwarranted influence wielded by a partnership between the military and a growing cohort of U.S. weapons...

The notion of "miracle weapons" arises in every generation only to routinely fall flat, writes Costs of War contributor William Hartung on Silicon Valley's increasing influence in the military industrial complex.

Via @tomdispatch.bsky.social: tomdispatch.com/entering-a-g...

Deadly partnership: US, Israel share blame for Gaza catastrophe Israel’s destruction of Gaza, and its wider Middle East war, is being co-produced by the Pentagon

Deadly partnership: US, Israel share blame for Gaza catastrophe — Salon cites @costsofwar.bsky.social: The U.S. spent $23B on Israel’s military operations and related U.S. activities in the region during the first year of the Gaza conflict.

MPA students in True North Classroom

MPA students in True North Classroom

MPA students in True North Classroom

MPA students in True North Classroom

#BrownMPA students just wrapped up their first round of economics and statistics courses for public policy. Now, they’re diving into Economics of Government Intervention and Statistics for Program Evaluation with faculty like Professor Neil Thakral.

ow.ly/krIk50WwQbH

Clearing Gaza rubble could yield 90,000 tonnes of planet-heating emissions Processing debris from Israel’s destruction of homes, schools and hospitals could take four decades

A stunning illustration of how war = climate chaos:

Cleaning up rubble from Gaza could generate more than 90,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Proud of my former postdoc @kathrynchelminski.bsky.social for publishing on the U.S. interconnection queue, a niche but massively important topic for the green energy transition. 🌍🔌💡♻️

Just a quick note to say thanks to everyone who showed up of the inflation book talk at Symposium books in Providence. It was fun. A special shout-out for Konrad who I think travelled a heck of a long distance. I'm honored.

Reid Pauly attending the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

Logo for the assembly in front of the Doomsday Clock

Last week, Nobel Laureates and nuclear experts united to call on world leaders to reduce the risk of nuclear war by implementing thirteen achievable recommendations—advised in part by Watson experts @reidpauly.bsky.social and Rose McDermott.

Read the declaration: ow.ly/ORv950WwbkA

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Trending Globally #podcast: What does the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ mean for America? — Dan Richards talks with @ericpatashnik.bsky.social & Margaret Weir about Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” what it means for American society, the GOP, & the 2026 midterms.

Well-Meaning Warriors for the Status Quo Firewall · Episode

Well-meaning Warriors for the Status Quo — On Firewall #podcast, Marc Dunkelman says America’s real problem isn’t bad intentions but broken decision-making — power is so scattered that anyone can block progress, even when there’s broad support.

Between 2020-2024, the U.S. government invested twice as much in five weapons companies than it spent on diplomacy and international assistance. watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/p...

What does the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ mean for America? Quickly and easily listen to Trending Globally: Politics and Policy for free!

I enjoyed talking about the One Big Beautiful Bill with my @watsonschoolbrown.bsky.social colleague Margaret Weir
on the Trending Globally #podcast, hosted by Dan Richards.
player.captivate.fm/episode/05f3...

I'm doing an Inflation book talk at Symposium Books in Providence tomorrow at 6pm. Here's the invite: www.eventbrite.com/e/author-eve...

Hope to see some of you there and then.

What does the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ mean for America? Quickly and easily listen to Trending Globally: Politics and Policy for free!

NEW Trending Globally #podcast: What does the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ mean for America? — Dan Richards talks with @ericpatashnik.bsky.social & Margaret Weir about Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” what it means for American society, the GOP, & the 2026 midterms.

Meet the newest #BrownMPA cohort! There are 66 students in the program, 4 are also earning a master's in public health from @brownpublichealth.bsky.social. We can’t wait to see how they’ll tackle today’s biggest challenges and drive positive change around the world!

ow.ly/c4Wr50WtwCm

How Trump's tariffs on Asian allies impact the U.S. strategy to counter China President Trump says he reached a trade agreement with the Philippines following a White House visit by its president. The U.S., the Philippines and other Asian allies are increasing their…

How Trump’s tariffs on Asian allies impact the U.S. strategy to counter China — In an interview with @pbsnews.org, Lyle Goldstein discussed tariffs and the Trump administration’s overall approach to Asia.

Andreessen is wrong about DEI and the working class — In a recent @opinion.bloomberg.com article, John N. Friedman noted that the data confirm a measurable decline in economic opportunity for white working‑class communities.

ow.ly/IXab50WtXUn

Global Networks, Monetary Policy and Trade Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan recently co-authored “Global Networks, Monetary Policy and Trade,” a paper examining how trade distortions and monetary policy affect the world economy.

A new paper, “Global Networks, Monetary Policy and Trade,” co-authored by Şebnem Kalemli-Özcan, Professor of Economics at @brown.edu, explores how tariffs, production networks, and monetary policy shape global economic outcomes.

Trump’s $1tn for Pentagon to add huge planet-heating emissions, study shows Exclusive: 17% increase in military spending will add emissions equivalent to those of some entire countries

The US military — already the top institutional emitter globally — will grow even more under Trump's $1 trillion military budget. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

As of May 2023, more than 7.6 million children under five in post-9/11 war zones suffered from acute malnutrition. watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/p...

Bihar mimics 19th-century American South. Citizenship is now weaponised to exclude voters Disenfranchisement by institutional fiat is profoundly undemocratic. The effect of the ECI's new documentary process in Bihar will tilt the scales in favour of the BJP.

Bihar mimics 19th-century American South. Citizenship is now weaponised to exclude voters — @profvarshney.bsky.social writes in The Print that new voter ID rules in Bihar risk weaponizing citizenship to disenfranchise the poor and marginalized.

AI and the future of human rights Quickly and easily listen to Trending Globally: Politics and Policy for free!

Replay this Trending Globally #podcast: AI and the future of human rights — Watson Senior Fellow Malika Saada Saar discussed how human rights law intersects with big tech and about the risks and opportunities AI poses for the future of human rights.

Watson Researchers Advise Nobel Assembly on Preventing Nuclear War Reid Pauly and Rose McDermott joined Nobel Laureates at the University of Chicago to advance solutions for preventing nuclear war.

Watson Researchers Advise Nobel Assembly on Preventing Nuclear War — @reidpauly.bsky.social and Rose McDermott joined Nobel Laureates at the University of Chicago on the 80th anniversary of the first nuclear test to urge action to prevent nuclear war.

Learn more:

Lawmakers pass game-changing bill to make it easier for homeowners to make popular upgrade: 'Bringing it into the 21st century makes sense' New Jersey's homeowners will soon see fewer obstacles to installing solar panels thanks to new legislation.

Lawmakers pass game-changing bill to make it easier for homeowners to make popular upgrade: 'Bringing it into the 21st century makes sense' — @climatesollab.bsky.social report cited by The Cool Down found permitting adds $3,800–$4,500 to rooftop solar costs in NJ.

#436 - All About Inflation: A Dialogue with Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli Listen now | In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli on inflation.

All About Inflation: A Dialogue with Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli — On Converging Dialogues #podcast, @mkblyth.bsky.social explains the politics and history of inflation, from Fed policy to global cases like Turkey and Argentina.

Over 2,500 movies and TV shows have been made with Pentagon assistance since the inception of the film industry — a stark reminder that the entertainment we consume helps to obscure the true costs of war. watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/p...

'An Arsenal of Profiteering': Military Contractors Have Gotten Over Half of Pentagon Spending Since 2020 | Common Dreams A new report reveals major Pentagon contractors received $2.4 trillion in DOD contracts from 2020-24, highlighting a massive transfer of taxpayer dollars and industry influence over U.S. military…

'An Arsenal of Profiteering': Military Contractors Have Gotten Over Half of Pentagon Spending Since 2020 — In @commondreams.org, Stephsanie Savell says $771B in Pentagon contracts enriches weapons firms — a taxpayer-funded engine of profiteering, not democracy.

#436 - All About Inflation: A Dialogue with Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli Listen now | In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli on inflation.

Great interview with me and Nic on the inflation book. Especially good on the broader lessons we learned while doing the research: convergingdialogues.substack.com/p/436-all-ab...

AUKUS is a flawed but sensible way to burden-share in the Pacific Sailors assigned to the Virginia-class submarine USS Minnesota conduct mooring operations at HMAS Stirling, Western Australia, Australia, on Feb. 25, 2025. (James Cavila/U.S. Navy)

AUKUS is a flawed but sensible way to burden-share in the Pacific — Lyle Goldstein argues in @starsandstripes.bsky.social that despite flaws and risks, the U.S. should stay in AUKUS to strengthen undersea warfare and share Pacific defense burdens against China.

Opinion | When It Comes to Undermining America, We Have a Winner

Brilliant summary of the democratic crisis in US
When It Comes to Undermining America, We Have a Winner www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...