Federal Aid for Schools, Valuing Black Communities, and More

May 23, 2020

Editor's note: The Brookings Brief will be on hiatus for Memorial Day in the United States. You can look for the next edition in your inbox on Tuesday, May 26. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Schools need flexibility in coronavirus stabilization funds

States need to receive federal funds and send aid to school districts quickly and flexibly if they are to meet the needs of students in the COVID-19 crisis. Sarah Reber and Nora Gordon lay out what states and districts should need to qualify for funds and discuss how Congress can ensure that federal aid is used as intended.

Taiwan's president begins her second term with a call for unity

With Chinese aggression mounting, internal political divisions, and COVID-19 wreaking havoc in the world, the stakes for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen as she starts her second term could not be higher. Richard Bush takes stock of Tsai's second inaugural address and her call for unity in the face of the multitude of challenges facing her country.

Listen: A new paradigm for valuing Black communities

To actually make improvements for Black Americans, the United States will have to address the structural barriers holding them back and make investments to reduce the effects of centuries of racism. Andre Perry talks about his new book, "Know Your Price," and Sarah Binder gives an update on Congress for the latest episode of the Brookings Cafeteria podcast.

Listen to the podcast

Upcoming webinars

Democracy's defenders. The Brookings Governance Studies program and the Transatlantic Democracy Working Group will co-host a webinar on Tuesday at 2:00 PM EDT to discuss themes in Norman Eisen's latest book "Democracy Defenders," and how U.S. diplomacy and trans-Atlantic democracy has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 and the U.S. financial system. What responses to the economic downturn worked well, and which didn't? On Wednesday at 2:30 PM EDT, the Hutchins Center will host a panel of experts to answer this and other important questions on the U.S. economy and government efforts to provide relief.

The state of the capital region. On Thursday at 2:00 PM EDT, the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program and George Washington University's Center for Washington Area Studies will co-host a panel discussion on the capital region's changing demographics and explore the policy implications of aging populations.

To see the full selection of upcoming webinars, visit brookings.edu/events or sign up for our Events Update to get a weekly roundup delivered to your inbox.

A note on the Brookings response to COVID-19:

The Brookings Institution campus in Washington, D.C. will be closed through at least September 7. For more information, read our full guidance here. As Brookings experts continue to assess the global impacts of COVID-19, read the latest analysis and policy recommendations at our coronavirus page or stay up to date with our coronavirus newsletter.

The conclusions and recommendations of any Brookings publication are solely those of its author(s), and do not reflect the views of the Institution, its management, or its other scholars.

Manage your newsletter preferences | Receive the Brookings Brief less often